No More Waiting
by phonebox
Summary: The story of Harry and Charlie's relationship after a game of Truth or Dare brings them together. Slash:Harry/Charlie. Warning:MPreg
1. Revelations

**Title:** No More Waiting

**Pairing(s):** Harry/Charlie

**Summary:** During a game of Truth or Dare, Harry reveals a secret he has kept for almost four years. The results are much bette than he would ever had expected.

**Disclaimer:** This is a work of fanfiction set in the Harry Potter universe – all recognisable characters and settings are the property of J. K. Rowling and her associates. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is made from this work. Please observe your local laws with regards to the age-limit and content of this work

**Warning(s): **Slash. Just in case for some homophobes.

**Author's Notes: **For the sake of this piece, Voldemort has already been defeated. I may may not mention him much in the course of the story as it's mainly a romantic work. Also this work is unbetad as I'm a newbie in the fandom and have yet to find anyone to check things through so pointers will be great.

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--**No More Waiting**--

Harry hadn't felt so happy in such a long time. Voldemort had finally been defeated a year ago and after a few stressful months afterwards, the wizarding world had finally moved on with their lives and realised that their hero, just wanted a quiet life. It was a enjoyable turn of events that lead to him moving into the Burrow after the final battle in preparation for his last year a school and his NEWT exams.

Now, he was sitting leant up again a tree in the vast yard of the Burrow, listening to the drunken laughter and chatter of his friend's as they played childish games, long forgotten.

"Harry, your turn, truth or dare?" A surprisingly tipsy Hermione asked with a giggle.

"Er…truth," he said with a shrug, not really having much to hide around these people as it was only the Weasley siblings, minus Percy who was already in bed, Hermione Granger, Lee Jordan and Neville Longbottom.

"Umm…" she said slowly as she contemplated a good question for her friend from her position laying in the grass with her head nestled in her boyfriend Ron's lap, "Ooh. Who do you fancy?" she said finally with a fairly ear-splitting giggle, which was joined by laughter from the rest of the circle.

Harry's cheeks turned red at the implications of the question. He'd had a crush on a certain person for an almost unbearable amount of time and he was trying his hardest to get over it and finding someone else. He really didn't want his secret to be revealed in this manner but he knew that his friend's would know if he was lying as he was far to bad at it.

Sighing sadly, he said, "Charlie," in a quiet voice before closing his eyes and trying to sink back into the bark behind him.

The other side of his closed eyelids, mouths were dropping from nearly every person, except Ron and Charlie himself as Ron was currently choking on his drink and Charlie had his eyes closed, a small frown on his face.

"Wow, I didn't expect that," said Bill, the first to recover. The ice was broken then and the two girls, Ginny and Hermione, burst into giggles; the twins appeared to be exchanging money placed on a previous bet about Harry's sexuality and Neville and Lee just smiled and laughed at the antics of their friends. Ron was quiet but he did not appear distressed, merely shocked and a little hurt that his friend had not confided in him.

"Since when, Harry?" George asked as he handed over ten galleons to his smug twin. Harry refused to open his eyes but he knew he would not be able to escape the barrage of questions from his friends.

"Around fourth year," Harry answered.

"Bloody hell, mate," Ron exclaimed loudly, surprising Hermione, who jumped. "Why have you never said anything?" he said in a hurt voice.

"Well, I wasn't too sure at first, then I wasn't sure how you would react, then I was busy killing Voldemort and then I've been busy trying to get over it," Harry opened his eyes to address his closest friend, allowing him to see the truth in them. Ron nodded, placated.

"Harry, no one minds who you love, we just want you to be happy," Neville said gently, always the sensitive one.

"Thanks, Neville."

"Yeah, no one cares, right guys?" Lee said in a louder voice, and the group of friend's echoed his sentiments with replies and smiles and Harry felt his heart melt at the support of his friends.

"You've been pretty quiet mate," Fred said to Charlie, drawing everyone's attention to the, in Harry's opinion, most attractive and caring red-head, who was currently staring into his bottle of Firewhiskey, contemplatively. He looked up at his brother's words and was met with the gazes of the whole group.

His eyes met Harry's across the circle and he saw the mix of emotions in them. Confusion, hope, anxiety, happiness, fear but mostly, love. A strong love that could only be built up from years of adoration for a person. It frightened Charlie that he had never noticed the love in the boy's eyes before and he quickly looked away but not before noticing the hurt and disappointment in the same eyes that had just shone with unconditional admiration.

Harry could barely breathe as he looked into the blue eyes he so admired, but when Charlie looked away, the startling emerald of his own was clouded and blurred by unshed tears that wobbled dangerously on the roots of his thick, black lashes. He choked out a barely stifled sob as he realised that his greatest fear had come true and Charlie had rejected him. Tears broke free and tumbled down his cheeks as he stood and ran into the house, not stopping till he reached the room he shared with Ron before throwing himself on his bed and sobbing his heart out into his pillow.

Back in the garden, silence had fallen over the group of people. Charlie was staring in the direction Harry had run in a daze, barely noticing that his companions were waiting for him to speak.

"Charlie, what are you going to do?" Bill asked gently. Charlie turned to look at his closest brother and cleared his throat to find his voice.

"What do you mean?" Even to Charlie's own ears, he could tell his speech sounded strained.

"Charlie, I'm you're brother and best friend, I know you love him too," Bill said, earning gasps from everyone else.

"Charlie, if you love him too, you need to go after him, I think you already broke his heart, but you could get him back," Ginny said, speaking for the first time, in a voice far more sober than it was before Harry's revelation.

"Are you sure?" Charlie asked slowly, eyes darting once again to where he had last seen the boy he had loved for years but never dreamed to think could love him back.

"YES!" came the reply from the whole group and Charlie was startled enough to laugh at the frustration in their voices. He nodded, standing up and blushing at the cheers and whistling that followed him as he made his way slowly back to the house.

His mind was reeling and his body moved almost on auto-pilot to the room that Harry slept in and most likely was now. He paused before the door at the gut-wrenching sobs coming from the other side and his own tears slid down his face at how broken Harry sounded. Taking a deep breath, he reached out a hand and knocked on the door.

The cries sopped immediately, though Charlie could still here sniffling as Harry gathered himself.

"Who is it?" Harry's voice was rough and hoarse from crying and Charlie fought down the spike of lust it sparked in his stomach.

"It's me, Harry," he said softly, "Can I come in?"

"OK."

Charlie sighed in relief and opened the door, closing it carefully behind him before turning to the young man who had haunted him for so long. The dark-haired boy looked a mess, but Charlie still thought he looked beautiful. His eyes were framed in red circles and were puffy from crying and he had tear-streaks down his reddened cheeks. Charlie felt guilty for causing him so much pain, knowing it could have been avoided if he had got over his shock quicker and responded to Harry's declaration with a passionate one of his own. Harry would just have to listen to it now instead.

He sat down on the edge of the bed next to Harry so that their bodies were only centimetres apart. He tuned to face the younger man but could not meet his gaze as he was staring determinedly into the floor, still sniffing occasionally.

"Harry I didn't mean to upset you, I'm sorry," he said delicately, fighting the urge to just wrap his arms around his smaller frame.

"It's ok, I was expecting it, it just hurts that's all," Harry sighed resignedly.

"No, Harry. You misunderstand me. I'm sorry I didn't recover from the shock quick enough to tell you that I love you too," he smiled as Harry's head snapped towards him. He reached out a hand to cup the side of Harry's face and smiled wider when Harry's eyes fluttered and he leaned his cheek into the touch.

"Oh god, please tell me you're telling the truth. I don't think I could bear it if you took it back now," Harry said in a breathy voice, eyelashes still rested gently against the skin of his face.

"I am, Harry, I'm not taking it back, I really love you, I have for years. I just never believed that you would love me too," Charlie said firmly, before leaning forward and claiming Harry's lips with his own in a tender kiss.

After a few seconds, Harry began to push back and the both relaxed into it. Charlie began to deepen the kiss, bringing his other hand up so that he was cupping the other man's face as Harry's own hands came to rest on his waist.

He swiped his tongue over the seal of Harry's plump lips, which opened eagerly to welcome it. Harry's own came to meet his and their tongues entwined delicately as they began to explore each other's mouths. They kissed for long minutes between short gasping breaths as they became more greedy with each careful taste of the other.

Charlie sucked on Harry's tongue and the boy released a lustful groan that vibrated through Charlie's body and travelled straight to his groin. In that moment all tenderness was gone as they began to devour each other's mouths with unrestrained lust, built up from years of want.

Charlie pressed forward and they two men shifted around until Harry was lying on his back with Charlie half on top of him, legs tangled together as they continued to kiss heatedly. Harry's hands ran up and down Charlie's muscular arms as the red-head moved a large calloused hand from the side of his face to trail it down his chest. Harry shivered at the light touch and arched his body upwards just as Charlie slipped the hand underneath Harry's thin t-shirt.

Harry moaned loudly and broke off the kiss, grinning at Charlie's confused and disappointed look he sat up slightly and pulled his t-shirt over his head and threw it to the ground before grappling with the buttons on Charlie's white shirt. Charlie let out an amused breath as Harry struggled with the buttons and covered the smaller hands with his own. He moved them to each side of the shirt before pulling hard, ripping the shirt open and sending buttons scattering around the room.

Harry laughed loudly at this before his laugh was cut off by a moan at the sight of Charlie's toned and tanned body. He reached out with his hands and stroked the soft flesh in front of him, barely registering the quickened breath from above him. When his fingers bushed gently over a taut nipple, Charlie mewled desperately and Harry spared a glance for his flushed face before stretching further upwards to latch a mouth over it. Charlie's hands shot out to the back of his head, holding his face against him as Harry swirled his tongue teasingly over the hardened surface. He finished with a final nip before pulling back to admire the now rosy nub.

Their positions had moved during their passion and Charlie was now kneeling between Harry's open legs as the younger boy sat up to kiss him. They kissed slower, the edge of their lust eased for a while. Charlie trailed his hands over Harry's naked torso as the green eyed teen placed his own hands on Charlie's hips. As Harry's hand trailed inwards to ghost lightly over Charlie's denim covered groin, Charlie shuddered and pulled back from the kiss, panting.

"Maybe we shouldn't rush into this tonight," he said breathlessly as Harry's hand began to push firmer into his crotch. He cupped Harry's face with his hands turning it upwards so that their eyes met.

"Please, Charlie," Harry said in a desperate voice, "I want you so much. I don't think I can wait anymore." Harry ran his lustful gaze up and down the expanse of Charlie's body like a caress, his hand never easing its relentless stroking on Charlie's shaft.

"Do you now how often I've fantasised about you? Touching you, stroking you, having you inside me as I scream your name. I could hardly bear it sometimes. I had to run to a bathroom so often when I was around you to beat one off, just because you'd smiled at me or brushed my arm. Don't stop now, Charlie, we both need this," he raked his gaze up from where it had been firmly on his hand as it moved over the bulge in Charlie's increasingly tight trousers to look into Charlie's almost black eyes.

Charlie was panting, his barely suppressed desire threatening to take him over. All through Harry's quiet speech he had been slowly forgetting his reason for ever stopping them. He knew exactly what Harry had gone through, he had been exactly the same. No wonder Bill knew he loved Harry, he realised suddenly in his mostly lust-filled brain, the amount of times he had found Charlie wanking in their shared bedroom after a party. The sight of Harry's body swaying to the soft beat of music always got him going quickly.

He looked at Harry laid out before him and knew that this wasn't going to be something either of them regretted and nodded, smiling at Harry who groaned loudly at the acceptance.

Now that Harry knew Charlie was ready to carry on, he couldn't control himself. He pulled at the fastenings on Charlie's jeans until they were open and shoved his hand inside without finesse. He almost came on the spot when he realised the older man had no underwear on beneath his jeans. Above him, Charlie had his eyes screwed shut as Harry's eagerness ripped him apart.

Harry removed his hand and smirked as Charlie's hips bucked, trying to find the touch again. He pulled the jeans down gently, revealing Charlie's impressive member and his mouth watered at the thought of having it inside him. The path of the jeans down muscled thighs was stopped by the position Charlie was kneeling in. Harry tugged hard on them until Charlie realised what he wanted and stepped off the bed to remove them, along with his socks.

Finally naked, he looked over to where Harry was lying on the bed watching him with a hawk-like gaze. He ran his own hands down across his chest, gasping as he tweaked his had nipples. He panted as his touches moved slowly downward, Harry's eyes following their path intently.

"Oh god, oh god, oh _god_," Harry panted, chest heaving as he watched Charlie touch himself.

"Take your clothes off," Charlie all but groaned as the combined sensations of his hands and the ghost of Harry's intense eyes sent him to knew heights of arousal.

Harry scrambled off the bed and stood before Charlie, not touching him as he began to ease open the fastenings on his painfully tight jeans. He slowly eased them down and wiggled his hips till they fell to the ground before stepping out of them, thankful his sensuous display was not ruined by the need to remove any socks.

Harry reached out his hand and placed it over Charlie's and relished the broken moan he received in reply. He stepped forward, standing so that nearly every pat of his body touched Charlie's and they both gasped from the combined heat of their skin. Their entwined hands moved steadily up and down, thought their was little space between them.

"Charlie, please, make love to me," Harry asked, their breath mingling in the tiny space between their mouths. Charlie gulped and nodded.

"Please, _now_," Harry panted, hands clutching at the bedding and that was more than Charlie could take. He quickly covered himself in warming liquid before lining himself up at Harry's entrance.

He locked his eyes with Harry's, marvelling at the love shining there before pushing in slowly. They both moaned loudly and Charlie could barely contain the urge to pound into the exquisite flesh below him. When he was finally seated all the way in, he paused giving Harry some time to adjust. The younger man was hot and so _unbearably _tight that Charlie was having a great deal of trouble controlling himself.

After what could have been hours of slow lovemaking, Charlie changed the angle of his thrusts so that the tip of his erection brushed against the tender spot deep inside his lover's body. The reaction was instantaneous and Harry's back arched at the pleasure. Sensing that Harry was close to release, he reached down to stroke the man. He pulled gently in time with his thrusts and within minutes Harry let out a particularly powerful yell of Charlie's name and came spurting onto his own abdomen.

Charlie lost himself in the pleasure of Harry's inner walls clamping down tightly on him and he barely managed three more thrusts before he was coming himself, deep into Harry's willing body, before he blacked out from sheer pleasure.

Harry was exhausted. He had never experienced sex at a level like that. It was like their very souls were connecting. He looked down at Charlie who was asleep on his chest, still nestled inside him and smiled. The man had made love to him in a passion that no one else ever had. He leant over to the cabinet for his wand and cast a few simple cleaning charms before pulling the covers over them and hugging Charlie tightly to himself as he went to sleep.

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	2. Getting To Know You

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**--Chapter Two--**

Harry awoke to the feeling of a warm body spooned around him. Smiling softly, he wriggled around in the arms surrounding him to face a sleeping Charlie. Harry thought he looked beautiful in his sleep, his features relaxed and a small smile on his face. Longer locks of his red hair were waving as they caught in the quiet puffs of air that tumbled from his partially open mouth.

Harry was torn between wanting Charlie's company and watching the man sleep. After a sudden thought, he turned to the other bed in the room and noticed, with relief, Ron was not there and the bed had not been slept in. He didn't think either of them would recover if his best friend found him naked in bed with his older brother. He turned his head back, meeting smiling blue eyes and sighed happily, his own grin spreading across his face.

"Morning," he said softly.

"Morning," Charlie replied and that was all that needed to be said between them. They chatted amiably as they dressed and after a warm embrace and a lingering kiss, they made their way downstairs.

Mr and Ms Weasley were on holiday in Italy, a treat bought from the bonus Arthur got with his promotion, so only the Weasley children and Neville, Hermione and Lee, the respective partners of Ginny, Ron and George were seated around the large kitchen table when Harry and Charlie entered, holding hands.

There were catcalls and wolf whistles as they sat adjacently at the end of the table and Harry blushed at some of the more lewd suggestions from Fred and George and Harry felt that the latter of which, who was draped possessively around his own lover, had no room to talk.

"So what is everyone doing today?" Harry asked as he bit into some toast.

"Well, Hermione is doing all the reading we could possibly have to do for our last year but I thought maybe we could all have a game of Quidditch. Percy's already at work so he can't complain about the noise and it's a lovely day, nice for a match," Ron said as he piled his plate higher with food.

"Sounds like a plan," Charlie agreed and there were murmurs of agreement from he rest of the table.

"I might join _you _though, Hermione," Neville said sheepishly and the others laughed knowing full well his lack of talent in the air.

No one mentioned the fact that Charlie ate his breakfast with only one hand as his other rested comfortably on Harry's thigh, or that Harry moved his chair so close that his whole body touched warmly with Charlie's, but the indulgent smiles they shot their way, showed they had noticed.

After breakfast, as planned, the group headed outside, Hermione and Neville taking up residence in the shade of a tree while the other boys and Ginny collected their brooms from the shed. They split up into teams: Bill, Fred, Ginny and Harry against Ron, George, Lee and Charlie. It would only be the second time that Harry had played seeker against Charlie Weasley as he mostly refused to play after an embarrassing incident where he almost died as he admired how good Charlie, his arse especially, looked straddling a broom and lost the snitch to the older man. This time, he was determined to win, even if he had to resort to dirty tactics.

The game was mostly friendly with harmless banter and showing off between the teams. Harry was enjoying himself immensely as he and Charlie swooped and dived around each other and the lust and surprise on Charlie's face as Harry tricked him was hilarious. Earlier, when Charlie was performing a particularly difficult feint, Harry had stretched his body out like a cat under the pretence of yawning, knowing full well that his sweaty top had lifted up to display his flat abdomen. Fred and George had killed themselves laughing when their brother almost killed _himself_ because he was too busy checking out Harry and even Ron had laughed when Harry had then turned around and wiggled his bum at the flustered Charlie.

They had been playing for several hours and Charlie's team were still winning by ten points when Harry saw the snitch. It was hovering just behind Charlie who, looking the other way, had not seen it. Quickly picking a course of action, Harry flew over until he was face to face with he man he loved. Charlie raised an eyebrow at his sudden appearance but Harry only smirked before grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him into a searing kiss. Charlie moaned, his hands coming to rest on Harry's waist as Harry deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue into his mouth. Harry had almost forgotten the purpose of his kiss as he lost himself in the pleasures of Charlie's mouth. He opened his eyes as he got control of himself, made sure that Charlie's were firmly shut, before looking behind him to where the snitch sill fluttered.

He tilted his head, changing the angle of the kiss and then moved one hand slowly round from the front of Charlie's body, caressing him softly and stretched it out behind their closely joined bodies, closing his fingers over the tiny golden ball.

Charlie pulled away from the kiss at the sound of cheering, blushing as he saw that the others hand all stopped and were watching them. He turned to Harry, expecting an equally flushed appearance but was met with a wicked grin. He pulled a confused face and that quickly turned to one of complete shock as Harry held up the snitch.

He quickly realised what Harry had done and was just about to give him a piece of his mind for such sneaky cheating before lips closed over his and he forgot why he was upset.

--

Charlie had been extremely embarrassed over the events of the Quidditch match, although he couldn't help but see the funny side as well. The twins had teased him mercilessly for the rest of the day, but that had been expected and the others kept congratulating himself and Harry on their relationship.

They had spent most of the day laying around and chatting and now in the evening, they were sat in the same spot they were the night before, but with Harry sat in the V of Charlie's legs who in turn was leaning against the large tree. Tonight there was no game playing and instead the group were just laughing and joking together. It was relaxing, Harry decided, to be wrapped up in a lover's arms as you listen to the laughter of your friends and Harry couldn't help wish that the atmosphere would stay with him forever.

Harry burrowed back impossible further into Charlie's arms, which tightened around his waist reflexively. He leant his head back so that he could see Charlie's face and smiled at the man. Harry had things he really wanted to talk about and he knew that there was no time like the present to discuss serious matters. The others were not paying them any attention so he knew the chances of them overhearing were minimal.

He looked down to where Charlie's arms rested and laid his own hands on top of the larger ones, absently tracing patterns over the freckled skin. Taking a deep breath, he decided to go for it.

"Charlie, I wanted to speak to you about something," he started quietly, and Charlie hummed in return. "I was wondering about what's going to happen when I go back to school, are you going back to Romania? Will I not see you until Christmas?" The last questions came out in a rush as he tried to say them before he lost his nerve.

"I'm not sure, Harry, but I'm definitely not going back to Romania. I quit before the summer. I love dragons and I love Romania but I miss my family and I miss you," Charlie tried to reassure him.

"Will you…come see me on Hogsmead weekends?" Harry asked carefully, "We haven't really had a proper date and it would be nice to show you off to all my classmates," he finished teasingly. Charlie moved his hand to cup Harry's chin and tipped his head up so that he could look him in the eye.

"Of course I will come visit you. I love you and I don't want to be parted from you anymore than I have to." He leant down and captured Harry's lips in a tender upside down kiss, tongues entwining and lips touching softly. They broke the bizarre meeting of mouths and smiled at each other before turning back to the conversation of their friends.

Harry felt as if a weight had been lifted from his heart and he felt lighter as he enjoyed the company of his friends and his lover. He knew he had nothing to worry about, Charlie loved him and that was all that mattered anymore.

--

For the next few days, life was pretty much the same for the friends staying at the Burrow. They spent their days playing Quidditch, shopping or just laying around the house and their nights talking, playing games, drinking and in the case of the couples, having sex. Due to this fact, there had been a large shuffle round in the house so that all the couples could be accommodated and the innocence of the singles' ears, kept.

As it was now, Harry and Charlie slept in what was previously Ron and Harry's room; Bill and Fred slept in Mr and Mrs Weasley's room as no one could _possibly_ have sex in there; George and Lee spent their nights in the twin's room; Ron and Hermione were in Bill and Charlie's old room and Ginny and Neville, much to the chagrin of her brothers, slept in her room. The arrangement suited everyone well and meant that, so far, no one had walked in on others in a compromising position.

It was a Saturday morning, two weeks before the start of term for the younger members of the group, when Charlie received a letter by owl, early in the morning as he was just lying still watching Harry sleep. Ripping it open, he read quickly a smile gracing his lips as the message of the letter became clear. He glanced over at Harry, who was sleeping soundly, hair a mess and his smile grew wider. He dashed over to the Ron's desk and rummaged through the drawers for ink, a quill and clean parchment before scribbling a reply and giving it back to the tawny owl that was resting on the sill of the open window it had flown threw.

Sighing, he turned his attention back to his still sleeping lover. Charlie knew that the best option would be to keep the letter a secret so he quickly stashed it under the bed before climbing back into it and wrapping himself around Harry's warm body. He couldn't help but grin when he thought about Harry's possible reaction to this latest development. With that though, he fell into a dreamy doze.

--

True to his promise to himself, for the rest of the summer Charlie did no mention the content to Harry, or anyone else. Mr and Mrs Weasley had arrived home the day before Harry and the others would be going back to Hogwarts. Charlie was shocked when Harry immediately announced to them that Charlie and he were now in a relationship and that they loved each other very much. However, he was not as shocked as Harry when Molly burst into tears of happiness and pulled them both into a bone-crushing hug or when Mr Weasley shook both of their hands before placing them together and smiling when their fingers locked together.

Now, as he carded his fingers through Harry's unruly hair as they embraced on Platform 9 and ¾ he knew he had made the right choice. They had made it to the platform just over twenty minutes early, a first for all of them and he and Harry had spent the last fifteen of those minutes, kissing tenderly as they said goodbye. He knew that Harry was fighting back tears as he whispered sweet nothings to Charlie in between languorous kisses. Charlie felt guilty for putting his love through unneeded upset but knew it would be worth it in the end. He kept Harry held tightly in his arms and kissed away the few salty droplets that spilled from Harry's eyes, kissing Harry all over his face and in his hair.

"Oi, come say goodbye to the rest of us too, Harry!" Came the indignant shout from the twins. Smiling softly and pressing one last kiss to Harry's nose, Charlie let his arms drop and he grabbed Harry's hand and led him over to where the rest of the family were saying goodbye and allowed Harry to make his own.

The cases were already on the train and as the whistle blew, Harry turned to say something to Charlie but was cut off by the press of soft lips against his own. He melted into the kiss and it became almost desperate as Harry tried to imprint the image of Charlie into his mind so that it might last him until he next saw him. The whistle blew again and Harry knew he had to go. They broke the kiss and pressed their foreheads together, words not needed as they both expressed their love to each other in the tight press of their bodies together and the panting of breath.

Pressing one last chaste kiss to Charlie's lips, Harry forced himself to pull away and jump onto the train jus as it began to pull away. He let the tears fall unashamedly as he waved goodbye to Charlie's shrinking figure before taking a deep breath and following his friends to an empty carriage.

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	3. Surprises

Note: Things get a little bit angsty in this chapter and it will continue for one or two to follow but will not be a continuous theme of the story.

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**--Chapter 3--**

The journey to Hogwarts was fairly normal. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville and Ginny were joined in their usual train compartment by Dean and Seamus- now a couple- and Luna, who was adorned in a large hat with a stuffed raven on top. They spent the trip finding out about each other's summers and generally chatting. Seamus and Dean were ecstatic for Harry when they heard about his new relationship, asking him lots of questions and sharing details of their own. When questions turned to enquiring about Harry's sex life, Ron quickly put a stop to it saying- 'just knowing they actually have sex is too much information', much to the amusement of everyone else.

Even though he was with his friends and on the way to the fist place he ever thought of as home, Harry could not help but miss Charlie. He found it extremely unfair that he had finally got what he wanted, only to have it snatched away again. He had to satisfy himself with the fact that they would see each other on Hogsmead weekends and that they would exchange owls regularly.

They changed into their robes as they drew closer to Hogwarts and Harry leant out the window as they approached the darkened station. He was saddened to see that it was not Hagrid calling forth the first years but, instead of the cheerful half giant, the bumbling Professor Sprout was holding a lantern up high above her head as she called to the tiny new students. Harry followed his friends from the station and climbed into one of the waiting thestral-drawn carriages. Despite his lingering sadness over the absence of Charlie, he began to feel the usual excitement he got at the start of a new school year and he knew that with his friends, Quidditch and the added pressure of his NEWTs, he would probably not have much time to miss his new lover this year.

The carriage trudged closer to Hogwarts and the group of friends became more enthusiastic at the thought of returning to school. They saw many familiar faces on their way to the Great Hall through the masses of students congregating in the ancient corridors. Finally, they took their places at the Gryffindor table, waving goodbye to Luna as she sat amongst the Ravenclaws. Harry cast his eye over the staff table but it was glaringly obvious that Hagrid was not there either.

"Where's Hagrid?" He asked Hermione, who was sitting opposite him, with Ron on her right.

"I don't know, maybe he left," she said, eyes narrowing as she inspected the staff table.

"Why didn't he say anything? Wouldn't he have wrote?" Ron had joined in the search.

"Oh well, maybe Dumbledore will say something after the sorting," Hermione said with false cheer. Harry nodded and turned to watch the sorting ceremony. The group of first years seemed even smaller than usual and Harry scoffed at the idea he was ever that tiny. Gryffindor ended the sorting with a round number of ten new protégés and Harry noticed, with no small amount of delight, that it was four more than Slytherin.

Dumbledore stood up and the hall fell quiet. He smiled warmly as he gazed around the hall.

"It is time for a few start of term notices before we dig in…"

The older students, bar Hermione, zoned out. They had heard this speech yearly and the excitement and mystery had gone leaving the simple facts that Dumbledore danced around with his words. Don't go into the forest: it's dangerous. Don't use magic between classes: you'll get into trouble.

"Also, I am sure many of you are wondering about the absence of our Gameskeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Rubeus Hagrid," Harry, along with many others, looked up with interest, "Well, I am pleased to announce that Hagrid has moved to France to be with his new wife, Madame Maxime, who I am sure many of you will remember." There was a small round of polite applause and Harry turned to see the shock on the faces of his friends. He knew his own face must look ridiculous but he was too surprised to care.

"Now," Dumbledore continued, "although this news is happy, I am sure we will all miss Hagrid deeply. Alas! Never fear! We have an excellent replacement who has experience with magical creatures in abundance and he is very excited to be teaching you all." Dumbledore turned as the door behind the staff table opened and every head in he room looked to see who might come through.

"May I introduce, Charlie Weasley!"

With a grin, Charlie stepped into the Great Hall. He made his way over to the empty seat next to the headmaster, shaking the older man's hand as he sat down. Harry stared, paralysed with shock, as his boyfriend sat down next to Dumbledore. He was vaguely aware of everyone around him clapping and cheering but he was too busy staring stupidly at Charlie to join in.

"Harry, you didn't tell us he was going to be teaching here!" Dean said once the noise had dulled and the food had appeared.

"I didn't know," he replied bluntly, still confused.

"Bloody brilliant! I can't believe he kept this a secret!" Ron said, his voice was muffled by the chicken leg he was gnawing.

"Me neither," Hermione added.

"Well, he better have a pretty good reason for not telling me. God, he must think I'm such an idiot! I was bloody crying 'cus I thought I wasn't going to see him for ages! Then he's here a few hours later!" Harry was torn between anger, embarrassment and amusement. Though the anger was winning at the moment. "He's going to pay after dinner!"

The others merely laughed and chatter resumed to normal topics as they munched their way through the heaps of food, traditional for the start of term feast. Harry's eyes kept flicking over to where his lover sat at the head table, but the red head made no move to make eye contact with him. After all three courses, Harry was extremely frustrated. Charlie had not even glanced in his direction and Harry had no idea why he was being ignored. Was it because he had been crying earlier? Was he too clingy? Too needy?

When the headmaster dismissed the students to go to their dormitories, Harry, ignoring his friend's exclamations, marched right up to the front of the hall until he stood face to face with his boyfriend, only a table between them.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming here? Why are you ignoring me? Did I do something?" He burst out the moment Charlie locked his blue eyes with his own. Charlie just chuckled and reached out a hand to cup Harry's face. Grateful for the comfort despite his whirling emotions, Harry placed his own hand on top of Charlie's and leant into it, smiling back at his love, his anger dissipated.

"I wanted to surprise you, that's all, and I wasn't ignoring you, I just didn't want to embarrass you in front of your friends by sending you some lewd wink. You didn't do anything, I promise. I love you," Charlie finished his speech by leaning forward and placing a soft, chaste kiss on Harry's lips. Sighing, Harry released his hand from his face, but entwined their fingers together across the empty table.

"Ok. Sorry I blew up at you. I love you too," Harry leaned forward for another kiss but the sound of someone clearing their throat stopped them both before their lips could meet. They both turned to the direction of the polite cough and Harry blushed wildly at the sight of the headmaster.

"I don't mean to intrude boys, but what exactly is going on?" He seemed uncharacteristically stern and it startled Harry to see the kind old man with his arms folded seriously across his chest.

"Umm…" Harry started lamely.

"We were just catching up. I didn't tell Harry that I would be coming here, I kept it as a surprise for him," Charlie smiled fondly at Harry who, predictably, blushed again.

"What do you mean, 'a surprise'? Why would it be of any interest to him?" Dumbledore's eyes were narrowed and the shrewd expression on his face was reminiscent of Snape.

"It would be his interest, because he's my boyfriend," Charlie's grin had all but disappeared and his voice had hardened in frustration. Harry couldn't help the smile that escaped at being referred to as Charlie's boyfriend but he was quickly reminded of the situation when Dumbledore spoke again.

"I'm afraid that cannot be possible, students and teachers are forbidden to engage in any form of relationship other than a strictly professional one. It is not acceptable and I must forbid you from seeing each other while school is in session. There will be serious repercussions if I find out that you have not been following these rules," Dumbledore's voice cut Harry like a knife. _He wasn't allowed to see Charlie, it was ridiculous, they had no right to stop him!_

"But sir, I am of age, surely that means I am allowed to make my own decisions when it comes to my romantic life?" His voice was shaky with stress, his euphoria from discovering Charlie's new position had completely left him and he felt cold and numb.

"You are, but teachers are not. This relationship is forbidden by law, Harry. I don't mean to be cruel, I just don't want to see either of you hurt. If anyone were to find out, Charlie could go to Azkaban," Dumbledore had regained some of his kindness and Harry knew that he would not be saying this if there was not a good reason. Sighing, Harry nodded and turned to see the reaction of his lover. One look at his face told Harry all he needed to know, Charlie was just as upset as he was.

Charlie was in shock. He had had no idea that he would not be allowed to continue his relationship with Harry at Hogwarts, otherwise he doubted he would have taken the teaching position. At least, if he hadn't, he would have been able to see Harry outside of Hogwarts in Hogsmead perhaps, now it looked as if even that would not be possible. He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the first prickling of tears, refusing to behave like a child in a tantrum. When he had a good enough grip on himself, he opened his eyes to face the headmaster. He was surprised to see the sympathy in the old blue eyes when only minutes ago they had seemed so harsh. Dumbledore must have realised the situation.

"I understand, sir," his voice was gruff from suppressed emotion, Charlie nodded to the older man, "can we perhaps have a moment alone? Neither of us were expecting this and we need to discuss what happens now."

"Certainly, my boys. I am sorry for my bluntness earlier, I did not realise that you were uninformed of the situation. I shall of course give you some privacy, but please remember it is almost curfew and Harry needs to go back to the tower soon." With one last sad smile, Dumbledore exited through the staff door.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Charlie jumped over the table and pulled a dazed Harry into his arms. He held the smaller man close to his body, burying his face in the dark messy locks on his head as he stroked a hand gently up and down his back. Releasing a shuddering breath, Harry returned the embrace, tightening his arms around Charlie's muscled body and breathing in the intoxicating scent of his lover, knowing there was an indefinite amount a time ahead before he would be able to do this again.

"I'm sorry, Harry."

"It's alright, you didn't know," he said softly, soothing his lover despite the pain he himself felt.

"Gods, Harry, what are we going to do? I don't know if I can cope with that, seeing you everyday but not being able to talk to you properly or hold you or kiss you," Charlie gulped down the knot in his throat, willing the tears in his eyes away.

"We can do this, it's going to be hard, I know, but we are stronger than this." Harry pulled back from Charlie's arms so he could look into the face of his distraught lover. "We can write, just like we planned and we will be together at Christmas. The time will fly by, just you wait and see."

"I messed everything up," Charlie's voice lowered to a whisper as he looked into the beautiful green eyes he loved so dearly.

"Hush now. You were trying to surprise me and I love you all the more for it. I have to go soon, it's almost curfew." Charlie nodded solemnly and Harry leant forward to rub their noses together in a tender touch. At once, they both leant forward and their lips met. The short meeting of lips was bittersweet, it said goodbye and hello and I love you and we'll be ok in only a few seconds of a soft encounter.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Harry."

They slowly, _begrudgingly_, untangled themselves and Harry pressed a quick kiss to Charlie's cheek before fleeing the Great Hall, tears cascading down his cheeks. As soon as he was gone from sight, Charlie sunk to his knees, sobbing heavily now that he had allowed himself to let go.

"_What have I done?"_ He whispered to the empty room. No one answered.

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Note: After three chapters, you must have a feel for my style and the story itself and it would be nice to hear some feedback, good or bad, so that I can make this story as good as possible. Thanks.


	4. Separation

Note: This is angsty, so be warned.

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**--Chapter 4--**

The next morning at breakfast, the 7th year Gryffindors were subdued. After witnessing Harry's tearful -and borderline hysterical- explanation of the events of last night, they were all aware of the reason behind Harry's silent solemnity and made no move to engage him in morning conversation. The devastated look on his face was enough to warn everyone else away as well.

Charlie, across the room at the staff table, tried not to torment himself by glancing over at his dark-haired lover, but every now and then his eyes betrayed him and he would see a flash of Harry pushing food aimlessly around his plate, face a wash of too-readable emotion. Charlie knew that he probably looked the same: devastated and surprisingly lost. Knowing that Harry was in as much pain as he was, was not as much comfort as he would have thought.

Harry looked up at the feeling of eyes on him and green met blue across the bustling Great Hall. The two lovers shared a few seconds of mutual longing for each other before a body moved between them and the moment was lost.

--

Later that day, Harry had his first Care of Magical Creatures lesson. He knew that it was going to be awkward for both of them and he resolved to make it easier for Charlie by not drawing attention to himself in class. As he approached the small hut in the grounds, he felt a wave of nostalgia overcome him and he suddenly wished desperately that Hagrid would be the one to come out of the door when he arrived and that the half-giant would invite him in for tea and rock cakes, just like old times. I might never see the inside of that loveable shack again, he thought miserably.

Getting closer, he could see the tiny, little Gnomes that were penned in the small paddock where a small crowd of students had gathered. A flash of red hair indicated Charlie who was petting one of the small creatures, much to it's chagrin, as he fed it some chocolate. Harry thought it was extremely unreasonable for people to expect him to learn when Charlie was standing there looking delectable in head to toe dragon hide that left nothing to the imagination, not that Harry had to use his to picture what the scaly outfit was hiding.

The group of Gryffindors joined the rest of their classmates at the fencing and Charlie, after counting heads to make sure everyone was there, began the lesson. During the period, the two lovers were, mostly, able to ignore each other. They had reached a silent agreement that it would be less painful for the both of them if they communicated as little as possible and Harry's friends got between them as often as they could.

The first lesson of Care of Magical Creatures was almost over when Harry, dodging a pounce by his would-be escapee Gnome, turned and slammed straight into a warm, hard chest. Looking up, he locked eyes with Charlie and stepped back quickly, lowering his eyes from the heated gaze. He noticed that Charlie had his hands clenched tightly in what must be a painful grip and Harry just knew that he was trying to stop himself reaching out to embrace him. He took a deep breath and looked back up to Charlie's beautiful face. His stomach lurched as their eyes met and he smiled despite himself at the sight of his lover. The display of teeth expanding dramatically when it was returned.

A shout rang out from a group of Hufflepuffs and they realised where they were and the abnormal 'student/teacher' behaviour they were exhibiting. Charlie was torn between clutching Harry to himself and never letting go and doing what he knew he was supposed to do. The decision was taken from him.

"I'm sorry, Professor," they both winced at the formality between them, "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"That's quite alright, Mr Potter, neither was I."

Flashing a pained smile to his lover, Charlie turned and made his way over to the distressed students, before he could change his mind.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Harry turned from watching Charlie's retreating form to face Ron with tear-filled eyes. He swallowed heavily and took another shaky breath, trying to reign in his emotions. After several seconds, he nodded to his friend earning an encouraging smile and a pat on the back before they both returned to their work.

Harry was glad to notice that it was only Ron, who would rather eat his own sock than discuss relationships, that had witnessed the altercation with his lover. Anyone else would have demanded Harry talk to them about it and he couldn't bare to think about it any longer. With new resolve, Harry threw himself into his work.

--

Things went on like this for several days, with Harry and Charlie ignoring each other and everyone else pretending that they hadn't noticed. However it was not as easy for the two lovers as it seemed.

Harry had taken to studying and training as much as possible in the hopes of distracting himself from the red headed god that was wandering the halls. More often than not, he could be found in a corner of the library surrounded by huge tomes as he wrote and rewrote essays of twice the usual length and standard of work from his previous years. When he wasn't studying like Hermione, he was out on the Quidditch pitch rehearsing feints and dives until he was almost falling out of the sky in exhaustion.

For Harry though, it wasn't enough. Every night brought with it tortuously beautiful dreams of Charlie and his toned body moving in perfect harmony against Harry's own and Harry woke up every morning sweat-drenched and painfully aroused as if Charlie had touched him in his sleep. He then retreated to the bathroom before the other boys awoke and finished himself off under the punishing spray of the communal showers.

Only then, in that clinical privacy, did he allow himself to let go, to lower his shields and remove his masks and just wallow in the pain of the separation. When he was done, the water washed away the tears and the come and Harry pulled himself together to face another unbearable day.

After two weeks away from Charlie, Harry stopped sleeping.

Charlie himself was a mess with worry. He could tell from the slow gait and heavily-bagged eyes that Harry wasn't sleeping, but there was nothing he could do or say without arousing suspicion from Dumbledore, especially as none of the other Professors had noticed any change in the young man. It was immensely frustrating and Charlie thought he felt himself die a little inside every morning at breakfast when he saw only an obvious decline in his lover's fatigue rather than a much needed improvement.

Harry, on the other hand, was ecstatic with the way things were going. He had managed to convince his body that it no longer needed sleep to function and now, instead of feeling haggard from his self-imposed insomnia, he felt perfectly fine and more at peace with himself without the haunting dreams. He was using all his extra free time to study and his grades were higher than they had ever been. Even after only two weeks at school, his teachers, bar Snape and You-Know-Who, were commenting on his improvements.

He was beginning to function without Charlie and though the sight of his face and the sound of his voice still made Harry's heart clench, he told himself it would get better with time and distractions and with more of the latter, the former seemed to be doing just fine.

As he reached the third week of separation, it appeared that Harry's body had begun to fight the ill treatment it was getting. He was constantly nauseous and had taken to fleeing to the lavatory at the most inconvenient times. The worst occasion being in the Great Hall one morning when Professor Snape had been walking past…

"Ugh! What is that smell?" Harry asked loudly as he scrunched up his face in distaste. Snape was looming over him in a matter of seconds, glaring as Harry waved his arms around to disperse the stench.

"Mr Potter," the icy tone of his voice was enough to send most students running, "What kind of idiotic display is this? Why in Merlin's name are you flinging your arms around like a Neanderthal?" By now, the rest of the hall had turned to watch the interaction between the Gryffindor Golden Boy and the Dreary Dungeon-Dwelling Potions Master. Harry seemed oblivious to the poisonous glares of his Professor and now had one hand tightly clenching his nostrils shut while the other tried to shoo the acrid smell away. Snape did not take kindly to being ignored.

"MR POTTER, DESIST THIS NONSENSE IMMEDIATELY!" he roared, spittle flying everywhere in his anger. Harry scowled and let his hands fall to his sides and immediately regretted it.

Turning him a terrific shade of green, Harry's stomach flipped over as he finally realised that it was the smell of kippers that was so disgusting to him. He clamped a hand over his mouth and wriggled out of his seat, sprinting to the bathroom with the shouts of the irate Snape following him. Once there, he sunk to his knees and emptied the contents of his stomach into a vacant toilet, heaving and retching until there was nothing left. Exhausted, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve and leant over to flush the toilet. The small exertion left him panting and he let his forehead rest against the cool china of the toilet bowl as he caught his breath.

He sat there a short while until the door to the toilets opened and Ron and Hermione came in, rushing over when they spotted him slumped on the cold tiles.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked worriedly as she knelt next to him. She turned his head away from the toilet bowl and placed the back of her hand on his forehead and each of his cheeks, tutting to herself after each time.

"Of course he's not alright 'Mione, he just spewed his guts up," Ron said amusedly from where he was leaning in the cubicle doorway, thought the anxiety was visible in his eyes.

Hermione lit her wand and Harry groaned as she held his eyelids open and pointed the beam of white light directly into each of them. She tutted again.

"Well, I'm no Madame Pomfrey, but there doesn't seem to be anything seriously wrong with you. You've probably just caught a stomach bug and I'm not surprised. You're body is probably very weak from the tiny amount of sleep you're getting," she chastised him in an ironically tender manner as she stroked his hair, mothering him, and he smiled at her.

"I'm fine, honestly, it was just the smell of the kippers that set me off today," he croaked and she frowned at him, but stayed silent.

"Look mate," Ron started, "I know this whole thing with Charlie," Harry winced, "is stressing you out, but you can't carry on like this, you're wasting away," he whispered the last and his faced was etched in worry and fear that Harry had not seen from him since the War. One look at Hermione showed her face to have a similar expression. Harry sighed, standing, before offering his hand and helping Hermione to her feet as well. His legs wobbled a bit and his head spun as he stood up, but after a few seconds, he felt himself again.

"Look, I know you're just looking out for me and I'm grateful, I really am, but I'm fine. I miss him…but I'm ok," he smiled winningly and was relieved when they exchanged looks and then nodded to him.

"Come on," Ron said as he handed Harry his school bag. "We don't want to be late for potions!" Harry groaned to the sound of his friend's laughter.

--

For the rest of the week, Harry's stomach rebelled against the idea of food. He would heave at seemingly ordinary smells at seemingly ordinary times and places during the day and he was even more miserable than before.

After three weeks away from Charlie, Harry stopped eating

He reasoned that as he only threw it up anyway, he might as well not eat it in the first place. The fact that, he no longer attended meals in the Great Hall and therefore no longer saw Charlie unless it was in lessons, was just a bonus.

Charlie was on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Harry was not attending meals and even with all the sly digging he had been doing (things like checking in with Poppy Pomfrey to see if she had had any visits or asking the Headmaster about possible punishments that might include exclusion from meals) had led the red head to only one reason for Harry's absence: himself. And wasn't that just a punch to the gut.

He knew that the separation was hitting the younger man hard but he couldn't understand why Harry would go to these lengths. Charlie himself found it a nice distraction from the dull conversation topics of elderly professors, to stare at his lover's face as he ate his food. He always found that Harry was the most beautiful at these times: oblivious to the world and Charlie's adoring gaze and enjoying the simple joys of like, like his friends and his youth.

Mostly, he just worried if Harry was alright and if he was taking care of himself. He still had those dark circles under his eyes but Charlie could only examine from afar how he was and Harry's ability to disguise his emotions was legendary amongst those who new him. Charlie knew that trusting his eyes was not going to help but he was at a loss to know what would.

It wasn't uncommon to find him crying after his seventh year class.

--

Harry was exhausted and sick and a small, logical voice in the back of his head told him to sleep and then go to the infirmary. However, that voice was quickly quieted by the stronger, louder voice in the forefront of his mind that said it was a minor problem compared to the pain he felt when he was concentrating on not concentrating on that particular thing that he didn't want to think about and boy wasn't that just a confusing thought and Harry smiled wryly to himself on his way to Care of Magical Creatures.

When he got there, the students were arranged in groups of four around Hippogriffs of various colours so that they could revise and review the work they had done in previous years. The same was happening in all their classes as they had mock NEWT tests coming up and it was important to familiarise themselves with what they had most likely forgotten over time. He scanned the groups for an empty space and was relieved when Hermione waved him over to work with Ron, Neville and herself.

The creatures were, as usual, tethered up in small pens and their task was to make any notes they thought they would find helpful and make use of the time they had with the animals themselves. He sat himself down next to Neville and dug out his parchment, ink and quill, quickly scribbling down all the facts he could remember from his third year. He took a peak at what the others were doing and was satisfied that he had written everything important down before gazing shrewdly at the fearsome beast and making a feeble attempt to sketch it. He concentrated hard on the sleek change from bird to mammal and the arrangement of the feathers. He made sure to capture the haughty, superior expression on the face of the Hippogriff, Terrence, as best as he could for he was sure that it was one of it's best features.

He was so absorbed in his work that he hadn't even considered where Charlie was, having not noticed him when he first arrived. So it took him by complete surprise when a familiar voice spoke directly into his ear.

"That's a very accurate picture, Mr Potter," Charlie said and was shocked when Harry whirled his head round so quickly that their noses collided. Harry's eyes widened and he jumped up, scrambling away from Charlie until his back was pressed against the enclosure fence.

Charlie sighed, eyes closing briefly, before he stood from his knelt position. He made to step forward towards Harry but retracted quickly when he saw is lover flinch. He hung his head in despair.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," his voice was low and dejected as he meditated his gaze on the grassy ground. He was so intent on not looking towards his lover that he did not realise what had happened until he heard Hermione's worried exclamation.

"Harry!"

The shout brought Charlie's eyes upwards and he gasped at what he saw. Harry was slumped, unconscious on the ground where he had previously stood. Hermione was knelt down next to him, speaking his name and checking his pulse to get a response. Charlie's moment of paralysis was broken at the sharp look she sent him and he rushed over and joined her by his lover's side.

"His pulse is slow. You need to take him to Madame Pomfrey," Hermione ordered him in a brusque tone and Charlie didn't even have the thought to reprimand her for speaking that way to a Professor. Instead, he nodded and scooped Harry's disturbingly light body up into his arms, cradling him tenderly against his chest.

"Miss Granger, Mr Weasley, please ensure that the animals are secured in their pens before bringing yourselves and Mr Potter's things up to the infirmary. The rest of you may go back to your common rooms for the rest of the period," he ordered loudly to the group of curious students that had gathered around the scene. Then without another word, he made his way to the castle, barely restraining his urge to run. Unthinkable scenarios ran through his mind as he speeded towards the castle doors and he shook his head to dispel them, all the while praying his lover was alright.

After four weeks away from Charlie, Harry's body had given in.

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Note: I'm thinking of taking this story down the MPreg route but I am unsure what people would think of that. To me, it seems like quite a natural progression but I understand it is a concept that causes much division in the fandom, ie. you either love it or hate it. So please read and review and tell me what you would like to see in later chapters, I'm open to most things.


	5. Magic

Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, I would name you all, but I'm lazy! I decided to go with the majority, so for this chapter and onwards: WARNING FOR MPREG. I've taken into account the few worries people had for that option and I hope people will like it.

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**--Chapter 5--**

When Harry awoke, it was to the familiar wood of the hospital wing ceiling and a warm hand in his own. Turning his head, he could make out the blurry form of Charlie Weasley, whose fingers were entwined intimately with his own as he sat on one of the uncomfortable infirmary chairs, keeping vigil at Harry's bedside. He was staring out the window on the opposite side of the room and the late evening moonlight was a shimmering cloak over his lightly freckled skin. He looked almost ghostly, it was breathtaking.

Harry squeezed his hand gently and Charlie's head whirled round to face him. He smiled and Harry returned it.

"Hey," Charlie said softly.

"Hey, yourself," Harry replied and it was as if the world, once upside down, was right again and Harry sighed in relief, his cheeks puffing out dramatically as the air whooshed out. Charlie chuckled, it was music to Harry's ears.

"I missed you," Charlie told him once he stopped chortling and his thumb moved tenderly, stroking the back of Harry's hand as he looked at him.

"I know," Harry said as he used his free hand to retrieve his glasses from the side table and fumble them over his eyes, "I missed you too."

"I know," They sat there for a few minutes, indulging in the closeness they had not shared in a month, before Harry spoke, suddenly realising the situation.

"What happened? What time is it? How long have I been here?" he pushed himself up to lean against the headboard, careful not to dislodge Charlie's hand from his.

"Woah, calm down, Harry!" Charlie said with a laugh, "You collapsed in my lesson this morning, remember?" Harry frowned, thinking, then nodded. "I carried you here and you've been here since. It's almost nine now. Madame Pomfrey said you needed the sleep so she didn't bother to wake you. Actually, I better go tell her you're up, she's been worried, not that she's likely to admit to that, though."

He placed a quick kiss on Harry's fingers and let them rest on the blankets at his side. He started to walk away, changed his mind and came back to press a chaste kiss on Harry's forehead as well, before continuing to the end of the ward and into the office there.

Seconds later, he returned with an agitated Madame Pomfrey, who was carrying a small rack of glass potions vials. Charlie sat back down in the seat next to Harry but did not take his hand again and they both watched as Madame Pomfrey placed the rack on the table before turning to her charge.

She said nothing as she handed the vials one by one to Harry but glared at him when he hesitated until he caved and downed them in quick succession. Charlie chuckled again, this time at the disgusted look on his lover's face and laughed outright when Harry stuck his tongue out at him childishly, behind the woman's back.

"Well, Mr Potter, those potions should have fixed the damage you've done to your body over the past few weeks. It is extremely careless to treat yourself like that, people eat and sleep for a reason, you know. It's no wonder that you collapsed, especially in your condition," Madame Pomfrey berated him sternly.

"My condition?" Harry asked and exchanged bemused expressions with Charlie.

"You're pregnant," she stated bluntly.

"Pregnant?" Harry squeaked in disbelief, eyes wide.

"Yes, about 8 weeks, I'd say."

"Oh my god!" Harry breathed before bursting into hysterical tears. He wasn't exactly sure _why _he was crying, maybe he was in shock or it was the hormones or he was simply overwhelmed but he did know that when he finally had himself under control, he was being cradled in Charlie's arms, who had joined him on the bed.

"Sorry," Harry croaked, his throat raw from crying.

"Shh, it's okay," the red-head soothed. His hand was stroking Harry's hair tenderly. Harry took a deep breath and pulled away to smile tentatively at Charlie, who smiled back.

"Okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah."

"Ahem." They turned to Madame Pomfrey who was waiting patiently at the bedside. She raised her eyebrows when Charlie did not move away and instead looped their fingers together, but said nothing, always a professional.

"I'm sure that this is a shock for you, Mr Potter. I understand that you were raised by muggles and were probably unaware that such a thing was possible and, to be honest, it is quite uncommon. I'm surprised the baby has survived the torture you put it through these past weeks, to be honest. Your magical signature must be extremely powerful to sustain it's growth. You and the father must have a very strong bond. Will you be informing the other father?"

Her question was phrased delicately but it was obvious that it was asked out of pure curiosity and Harry ducked his head coyly and said, "He already knows," but Charlie stayed confident and met the mediwitch's gaze head-on when she turned to him.

"I see," she crossed her arms over her chest and frowned, "Well I will have to fetch the headmaster. There are…procedures." With one last sweeping look over their embraced forms, she turned on her heel and went back into her office. Harry let out a slow breath and turned to bury his head into Charlie's firm chest, sighing when a kiss was pressed into his hair.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I should have been more responsible and taken precautions against this. I never guessed we were so 'meant to be'. I mean, I love you, but it's as good as soul mates when two males' magic are so well matched that a baby is made. They have to be 100 compatible," Charlie cupped Harry's chin in one hand and tilted his head so he could look into his eyes, "You really are perfect," their lips met briefly and Harry pulled away to look at his lover.

"No, _you _are perfect," he stated firmly before he began to giggle, "Oh god, we sound so _cheesy_," he said, breathless from laughing and Charlie joined him for a while before a thought struck him and he sobered.

"Harry, are you okay about this? It's a big deal and you're very young, hell, _I'm _young when it comes to having children. I would, I mean, I would understand if you didn't want to keep it, if you wanted to wait a few years. We _have _only been together a couple of months. This is a _huge _commitment, I-" he was silenced by warm lips against his and they kissed luxuriously for a few minutes before Harry pulled away with a sigh, placing his hand gently around Charlie's freckled cheek.

"I would _never _kill a baby of ours. I know we're young and we haven't been together long but, I also know that I love you and I never want to be apart from you again. These past few weeks have been _hell _and I'm not very good at dealing with things like this, as you know. I think… I think I want to keep it, together, we could be a family. It's something I've always wanted. I know we can do this and I know that we can do it together, otherwise we wouldn't be in this situation, right? And, who knows, maybe in a few months or weeks or even days we might be really excited about it… instead of terrified. That is… as long as you want it to?"

Uncertain eyes turned to Charlie and he was aware of the weight of this decision on his shoulders and it suffocated him. On one hand, he could imagine all too clearly what a life like that, with Harry and their children, could be and he wanted it desperately. But did he want it now? And what about Dumbledore and everyone else? Would they be able to see how perfect this future was for them?

A tug on his hand pulled him from his troubled thoughts. Harry had his eyes down, watching his own fingers as they danced with Charlie's. His teeth were worrying dents into his lower lip and he was humming quietly to himself, lost in his mind and thus unaware of the eyes on him.

"Harry?" Charlie started quietly and the staccato tap dance on his palm stopped. Harry didn't look up but Charlie knew he had his full attention. "Of course I want that for us, I was just worried about what everyone else will say. It's not going to be easy, Harry: babies are hard work."

"As long as I've got you to do all the disgusting things like changing nappies, we'll be fine!"

"Hey!"

Harry pulled Charlie's face down for a passionate kiss. Lips moved sensuously against each other and tongues battled and invaded and dominated. When they pulled away, they were both panting and had tears streaking down their flushed cheeks.

Content, they curled up like spoons on the bed. Harry placed a protective hand over his flat abdomen and sighed when a larger one was placed on top of his own. Finally together, they slept peacefully.

* * *

Note: Please review again, it's nice to know what people think. Any suggestions for what you would like to see happen are welcome. This chapter was shorter than normal as I've decided to go for little and often rather than extensive chapters that take ages.


	6. Confrontation

Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, it encouraged me to write this chapter faster! This one is also back to the more average length, enjoy!

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**--Chapter 6--**

They were woken from their slumber by the sound of footsteps. Sitting up together and moving to lean against the headboard, silently, they could tell from the light outside that it was almost dawn. As the footsteps approached they turned to see who it was and were unsurprised to see a stern-faced Albus Dumbledore stalking towards them. They exchanged nervous glances before turning towards the professor, who stopped at the foot of the bed and surveyed them. The tension was tangible and no one wanted to break the silence. It could have been hours, though it was unlikely to be more than a minute, before Harry cracked.

"So…Madame Pomfrey mentioned something about procedures…what exactly does that mean?"

"Indeed, Mr Potter," his voice was void of emotion and his face was blank, "It means that, due to the actions of you and your…partner, we now have an extremely sensitive situation on our hands and I am unsure about what can be done to right your foolish mistakes."

Charlie jumped up, swinging his legs around so that he could stand and face Dumbledore, though he remained close to Harry's side who sat, head hung, on the bed.

"How dare you speak like that to us," Charlie fumed, "You have no right to treat us like that. We have followed _all_ your rules."

"It is clear that you have not, Professor Weasley, or we would not be having this conversation," Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling dangerously. Charlie's ears turned pink in anger and for the first time in knowing him, Harry was reminded of Ron and he realised that the famous Weasley temper did not start with the youngest red heads.

"I think it is _clear_, that you are going senile in your old age," Harry gasped but Charlie ignored him, "as it seems you are incapable of simple mathematics. Harry is 8 weeks gone, which would make the conception at the beginning of August and therefore _before_ we came to this school and _before_ you even wrote to me about joining the staff. If I didn't work here, we wouldn't have a problem and to be honest, I don't even think we have one now," he finished smugly and crossed his arms over his chest defiantly.

"That is where you are wrong. Despite the fact that this baby was conceived before you became Harry's tutor, you have still been disobeying my orders."

Charlie frowned. "How so?"

"Did I or did I not, walk in on you two cuddled up together on this bed?"

"Yes but-"

"Well then you _haven't _been following my rules," Dumbledore interrupted, rudely.

"If you would let me _finish_. That is the first time that Harry and I have been in any kind of close proximity, other than classes, since the first night of term, right Harry?" Harry glanced up from where he had been studying his clasped hands in his lap and nodded to the headmaster, not meeting his eyes. Dumbledore's face scrunched up in a frown until he sighed, some of the tension leaving his body.

"I'm sorry, I jumped to conclusions," he said sincerely and Charlie nodded, also relaxing, "but this is still an important matter. There are details which need to be discussed."

Charlie snorted. "_I_ don't see what details might need to be discussed. Harry can move into my suite, I'm sure the house elves wouldn't mind attaching another room on for the baby," he turned to Harry who looked up at him in confusion.

"You have a suite?"

"Of course I have a suite, Harry. You didn't think I lived in Hagrid's cabin, did you?" Charlie asked amusedly.

"Oh, well," Harry felt himself blush, "I hadn't given it any thought, I guess."

"And you didn't think I would suggest bringing you to live there. Or the baby?" the red head exclaimed.

"No!" Harry said hurriedly, "Sorry." Charlie just shrugged and smiled at him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but that just wont be possible. There is no way I can allow Harry to share rooms with you, pregnant or not," said the headmaster and they both turned back to him.

"You don't honestly expect me to allow Harry to sleep alone in his condition?" asked Charlie, incredulous.

"He will not be alone, he dorms with four other boys," Dumbledore stated calmly.

"And how can you ask them to deal with the problems of pregnancy? You can't expect them to look after Harry on top of everything else they have to do this year. If this is about the welfare of students, then think about them boys when Harry is up at the crack of dawn heaving his guts up or when he's getting up five times a night to go to the bathroom and fumbling around making all sorts of noises in the dark!" Charlie was ranting now, his arms gesturing madly as he tried to get this point across. Harry couldn't help but blanch at the description of the wonders he had to come during his pregnancy.

"I'm sure they are quite up to the challenge and would be fully obliging," the headmaster was still infuriatingly calm.

"Of course they will be, they're Gryffindors, but that isn't the point. Besides, a tower is hardly suitable living conditions for a pregnant person. How do you expect Harry to navigate a spiral staircase when he's the size of a whale?"

"Hey!" Harry shouted indignantly.

"Sorry, babe," Charlie said absently and Harry huffed in annoyance.

"I'm sure if it becomes a serious problem, we can always relocate Harry to a spare room elsewhere in the castle, but I simply cannot allow you two to share a room, it would be extremely improper!" Dumbledore's voice was regaining it's edge as the elderly man lost control of his temper.

"If this is about us sharing a bed, then by all means give Harry his _own _room in my suite. It's not a problem. I think it's extremely unfair for you to expect Harry to go through the trauma of a pregnancy, especially a _male _pregnancy and especially at such a young age, alone. The pressure would be too much for anyone," Charlie argued. He could not believe the audacity of the man, sometimes. He was so used to meddling in things for reasons beyond all comprehension, that he could not see sense.

"The Ministry would-"

"The Ministry have absolutely _nothing_ to do with this and they would not become involved unless you specifically asked them to," Charlie switched to using Dumbledore's techniques, interrupting him before he could finish his point, hoping to get through to him.

"It would quickly become public knowledge that I had allowed something like this to happen and soon enough we would have students boycotting rules all over the place," Dumbledore pointed out.

"Finally, _finally_, we get down to it," Harry gave Charlie a bemused look, not quite understanding what revelation his lover had had, but Charlie merely winked at him before continuing, "_You_ can't let it get out that the Boy-Who-Lived is pregnant by one of _your _staff and _you_ have now allowed them to live together within the school. The public would go crazy, thinking you had allowed their saviour to be _tainted_," Charlie spat and Harry realised suddenly, gloomily, what this was all about.

"But they haven't bothered me in almost a year," he said quietly and the heads of two men standing both shot to his direction.

"That may be the case, Mr Potter," Dumbledore said kindly, "but news like this would not go unprinted."

"Even if it is printed, I doubt the public would disagree with allowing the boy who saved them , the chance to lean on his lover when he carried his baby. You are being far too hasty with your assumptions at the moment, Dumbledore. I think the wizarding world would be a damn sight more angry about the fact that you would have us separated past even the baby's birth, than they would about us being together. Surely you can see that?" Charlie implored.

Dumbledore sighed, turning away from them as he thought things through and Charlie took the opportunity to retake his place on the bed next to Harry. He realised, with shock, that the younger man was trembling and he pulled him into his arms, soothing him with caresses and nonsensical words of love.

"Professor?" Harry's quite voice broke the silence and the headmaster turned to him. The boy had tears flowing freely down his face and his eyes were red-rimmed but he seemed unconcerned and a determined look graced his features as he untangled himself from his lover and stood up, stepping forward to stand feet away from the old man.

"I know we've put you into an awkward position and I'm sorry, truly, I really am but it's happened now and we just have to make the best of it," Harry paused to sniff and take a deep gulp of breath, "The thing is, I want to ask you to think about what you're asking me to do. You're asking me to go through something so important and so life-changing, alone, without the one person who deserves to be there most of all and it's not fair. I've done so much in my life so far, I've fought and won a war and now… I just want the peace of a normal life. Why are you stopping me?" he asked in a broken whisper and Dumbledore couldn't bare to look into his pleading green eyes anymore and tightly shut his own.

"But that's not the point, it's not important anymore. The important thing is that this baby needs both its fathers there for it. I've lived nearly my whole life as an orphan and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I want any child of mine to have as much love as it can get and I know that we, me and Charlie, can give that to it but we need to do it together because otherwise, this baby isn't going to survive," Harry paused there as a sob overtook him and he squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists, drawing the strength to finish what he had to say, "I can't do this on my own, I can barely look after _myself_ without Charlie, let alone someone else. This baby only lived through the last month because of my magical power and believe me, I've never been more glad to be abnormal before in my life. But… I guarantee that if you separate us again… it's going to die. Please don't kill my baby, Professor, it's all the family I have," he was sobbing forcefully now and he felt his knees give out under him and tensed his body to prepare for the harsh landing on to the stone floor, but it never came. He opened his eyes to see an equally tearful Charlie holding him up and he curled his body into the strong arms surrounding him and sobbed into his chest.

They stood there for an age, both too consumed in the confusion of emotions to be aware of the rest of the world. By the time Harry had cried himself out, there was a large wet patch on Charlie's shirt and Harry's hair was damp from the tears his lover had shed into it. He pulled away to give Charlie a watery smile and brought his right hand up to dry the last of the tears that lingered on the taller man's face and then his own. Charlie smiled in return and gave him a comforting squeeze about the waist. Harry took a deep breath, steeling himself, and turned around in Charlie's arms to face the headmaster, who's own face was streaked in salty water.

"I'm sorry, boys," the headmaster said quietly and Harry's heart sank as he understood what the headmaster meant. He felt Charlie stir behind him and clamped his hands over his lover's, moving their linked fingers up under his shirt to rest on his stomach. He looked down at their hands and had to close his eyes in pain, hardly able to bear the sight. Charlie leant forward to nuzzle his face into Harry's neck, stroking his fingers across the dark-haired boy's tummy over where their baby slept, trying to sooth both Harry and himself.

"It's okay," Harry mumbled, though he was unsure to who he was speaking: Charlie, Dumbledore or himself.

"I'm not finished, Mr Potter," Dumbledore said loudly to catch their attention and they both frowned as they looked towards him.

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked, his voice rough.

"I mean, that I had not finished what I was going to say. I am sorry… but in order to let the two of you stay together, which is what I would _like _to happen, I will have to meet with the Governors and discuss it with them. As it will require a change of school policy, they will need to be consulted," he was smiling broadly at them and Harry let out a hysterical laugh as the headmaster's meaning settled over him like a warm blanket. He pulled out of Charlie's embrace and rushed towards Dumbledore, throwing his arms around him without permission and hugging him tightly. To Charlie's surprise, the old man just laughed and wrapped his own arms about the boy, petting his hair like a grandfather might a favourite grandson.

"I'm sorry, Harry," he whispered to him, "I lost sight of what is important, I tend to do that in my old age. I hope you forgive me?" he felt the nod against his body and he sighed in relief, dropping his arms and stepping back. His eyes twinkled once more in the way that amused and infuriated Harry at the same time and he clasped Harry's hand in his own, pulling him over to Charlie and placing the freckled palm on top in the same way Mr Weasley had when he had first found out about his son's relationship. It was a _blessing _and Harry beamed at him.

"Now," Dumbledore said, formally, "I must arrange the meeting. It would most likely be best to hold it this afternoon, so I suggest, in the mean time, that you talk to Madame Pomfrey about the medical care you might need, Harry. Also, I will send for Miss Granger, Mr Weasley and Miss Weasley to come speak to you. I know they have been worried and I am sure you will want to tell them the news," with a smile and a nod, he swept up the ward and into the office he had entered from, leaving the shocked men to themselves.

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Note: Please review again, I'd like to see what you think!


	7. Reactions

Hi! Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! Sorry there has been such a long wait for this update- my life got in the way! Hopefully I will be able to spend much more time on this during the summer!

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**--Chapter 7--**

"Well that was… interesting," Charlie said, dumbfounded and Harry giggled at the expression on his face.

"I'll say," he snorted.

Charlie shook his head. "I'll never understand that man. Are you okay?" he asked concernedly. Harry shrugged one shoulder and gave him a wry smile.

"Me too." Charlie smiled. "Come on I'll go get Madame Pomfrey." He steered Harry back to the bed and helped him climb in. he smoothed the covers over his muscled legs and shifted the pillows so that Harry was resting comfortably against the headboard, then he turned to fetch the mediwitch.

An hour later, after much prodding of Harry's person, Madame Pomfrey finally returned to her office at the end of the ward. She had given Harry more restorative potions as well as ones to combat his morning sickness and other normal pregnancy potions to help the growth of the baby, both physically and magically.

Harry groaned and slumped back into the bed while Charlie, laughing, squeezed into the small space next to him on the Infirmary bed and took his hand in both of his.

"Hush now," Charlie admonished, "It wasn't that bad."

Harry sighed and turned to look at his lover. "How would you like being stripped down and inspected like some petty criminal?"

"Harry, stop moaning-"

"I'm not moaning," Harry snapped and Charlie raised an eyebrow at him.

"It was for your own good and you know it, no matter how undignified it was." Harry sighed again and looked away. After a few moments, he nodded.

"Come on, you need some sleep," Charlie said gently. He started to climb out of the bed, but a hand on his wrist stopped him. He turned to look into Harry's earnest green eyes.

"I'm sorry…stay?" Harry quietly pleaded. Charlie smiled and received a tentative one in return as he slid between the sheets, ignoring his clothes and pulling Harry into his arms, his dark head resting comfortably on his hard chest. It wasn't long before they were both asleep.

--

Some time later, they were woken by noise, again, in the usually quiet hospital wing. Charlie turned to look down at Harry who was still lying with his head resting over Charlie's heart and rolled his eyes at him. Harry snorted and pulled himself into a sitting position next to his lover. Charlie wrapped his left arm around his shoulders and pulled him in for a tender kiss, pouring his love for the younger man into the intimate caressing of his lips.

The sound of voices at the entrance to the ward brought them back to themselves and they reluctantly ended the kiss. Charlie placed his free hand on Harry's stomach and Harry sighed in happiness and snuggled into Charlie's side.

The infirmary door opened and they were both surprised to see a large group of their friends and family being led in by a smiling Dumbledore who simply pointed to the bed they were in, winked at Harry and left.

The crowd swarmed immediately around them, calling out questions and shouting to them in a chaotic manner. Hands pulled at Harry's body as people worriedly searched for visible ailments in order to quench their worry for him. Harry had no time to work out who had said what before someone else was interrupting them. The noise and the closeness of their bodies was oppressive and Harry could feel himself starting to panic.

"Hey!" Charlie shouted out, silencing the group, "Calm down and let him breathe for Merlin's sake. He's in here for a reason, you know, the last thing he needs is you lot stressing him out. Now why don't you all take a step back and give us a chance to explain and _then_ you can ask any questions you might still have. Okay?" They all nodded feebly looking suitably chastised and moved back obediently. Charlie released a long breath and slumped back. He realised that in his anger he had let go of Harry and he quickly pulled him back into his arms. Harry went gratefully.

Now that everyone was calm again, Harry had the chance to see who was there. All of the other Weasleys, bar Percy, were there as well as Hermione, Neville, Lee, Lupin, Tonks, Dean and Seamus. And they were all looking expectantly at him.

"Would it…be okay if…I spoke to you all separately?" Harry questioned tentatively.

"Of course, Harry," Hermione spoke up loudly, though she was frowning, worried, "Just say who you want first and everyone else can wait outside."

Harry turned to look at Charlie who's brow was furrowed in thought and waited for him to answer that one.

"How about…Hermione and all Weasley kids?" he asked Harry who smiled and nodded. There was a small commotion as they complied with this request. Harry was surprised that no one protested at being left out but he assumed they were all too concerned to question him. Bill conjured chairs for them all and soon they were sat in a line at the foot of the bed. Harry thought they looked like a jury.

The silence in the room was so unnatural for the group of people within it, that it would be instantly obvious to any new arrivals that something serious was going on. Harry took a deep breath, clutching tightly to Charlie's hand for comfort, who squeezed back. Knowing he needed to set them at ease, Harry plunged forward into an explanation.

"I know you've all been worried and so firstly I want you to know that I'm fine: I'm not ill, dying or insane, though it may have been touch and go for a while there on the last one," he said with a small smile. There was a collective sigh of relief in the room and the tension eased dramatically.

"You've always been crazy, Harry mate," Fred said brightly.

George nodded. "Yeah, a right nutcase."

"Surprised they let you run around," Ginny chipped in.

"There's no knowing what you might do," the twins chorused and everyone laughed, though Hermione was eyeing her friend curiously.

"You said 'firstly'," she pointed out and Harry couldn't help but smile at her perceptiveness. "What else do you have to tell us then?"

Once again all eyes were on the couple in the bed and Harry turned pleading eyes on Charlie, silently begging him to explain. Charlie was, as usual, helpless to resist.

"You're right, of course, Hermione," he said lightly, "We have more to tell you. Harry hasn't been sick just because of stress, there is another reason. It's going to be a bit of a shock," he cast a wary glance at Ron, "But hopefully you will feel the same way as us."

Bill huffed. "Well out with it!"

"Harry's pregnant."

There was only stunned silence.

"Is it yours?"

"Ron!" Hermione shrieked and Ron winced at the pain it caused his ear drums. "How can you ask such a callous question?"

"I just wondered," he grumbled.

"It's okay, Ron," Harry said with a chuckle. "I knew you would ask or say something like that. Yes the baby is Charlie's; it would not be possible with anyone else."

"Oh." Ron wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Are you going to be okay with this, Ron?" Harry quietly asked. Ron's head snapped up to where his best friend was fiddling nervously with the bed linen, eyes downcast, then to where his brother was smiling lovingly at the top of his dark head, before resting on their entwined hands.

"Of course I am you daft git!" He grinned at Harry, who grinned back. Harry then turned to his other best friend.

"'Mione?"

She bit her lip. "I'm just worried. You're both so young. Is this _really_ what you want?"

"With all our hearts," Charlie answered. She sighed but smiled and nodded.

"Bill? Ginny?"

"I'm going to be an auntie!" she squealed before promptly bursting into giggles. Harry looked at her with bewildered amusement and turned to Charlie with raised eyebrows. Charlie just laughed and shrugged.

Bill cleared his throat. "I'm happy for you both," he said gruffly and Harry was surprised to see that his eyes were glassy but smiled at him. Bill nodded back, smiling as well.

Finally: "What about you two?" Charlie asked the twins.

"I think it's wonderful," announced George, beaming.

Fred scowled at his twin, "I think it's an outrage."

Everyone was shocked at the unusual display of venom from the twin but George's smile simply grew bigger at this statement. "Don't worry about him," he stage-whispered, "He's just sore because he lost 20 Galleons."

"You had a bet on that I would get pregnant?" Harry asked, astounded.

"Of course," George said smugly, "We saw children in the near future for you and our dear brother."

"Then why did Fred bet against it?" A puzzled Ron asked.

"I didn't. I just bet that Charlie would be the one up the duff." Everyone broke out into raucous laughter, though Ron looked a little green and Harry a little red.

"I'm so glad you guys are happy for us. It means a lot," Charlie said and Harry nodded. They all just smiled.

"That's what family is for," Ginny said.

--

Half an hour later, Hermione and the Weasley kids left the hospital wing, with promises not to tell anyone the 

news until Harry and Charlie had told the other people who were waiting. Also, they made sure to fetch the next people that the couple wanted to see: the parents. Mr and Mrs Weasley, Remus and Tonks made a sombre procession into the ward. They were all clearly nervous and expecting the worst and there was an ominous silence as they seated themselves in front of their son and adoptive godson.

"Okay, you all look absolutely terrified of what I'm about to say," Harry chuckled, a little hysterically. In truth, _he _was terrified: What were they going to say? He couldn't bare for any of them to be disgusted or upset with him. He needed their support on this.

"Well I admit I am slightly apprehensive," Remus said slowly. He was searching their faces for any clues to how they were feeling, but both of them were stellar in their blank gazes.

"Indeed," Mrs Weasley said, primly, "We are all very worried, dear." The other three nodded.

Harry sighed. "It's okay. No need to panic. I'm fine."

"God Harry, couldn't you have told us that earlier, it would have saved us all that lip-biting!" Tonks' outraged, but still relieved, face sent Harry into a fit of giggles. There was a short, incredulous, pause as everyone watched the dark-haired boy roll about in laughter before they all joined him. They laughed for almost five full minutes, until there were tears running down their reddened faces.

"I feel much better now," Arthur said brightly as he dabbed at the tears on his face with a pocket handkerchief.

"Me too," his wife replied.

"So, what is it that you have to tell us, Harry?" Remus asked seriously.

Charlie spoke up. "We're aren't sure how you are going to react. But first understand that we have talked about this seriously and we are both content to let this take its' course." There were nods all around.

"I'm pregnant."

"I'm sorry?" Arthur's shocked voice was unusually high and his face, a picture of disbelief, mirrored those of the other three.

"I'm having a baby: Charlie's baby. In about seven months," Harry said in almost a whisper, before burrowing his face into his lover's chest to avoid the inevitable anger. The silence in the room lasted an eternity and Charlie made sure not to look anywhere other than Harry while they came to terms with the news. He jumped at his mother's excited squeal.

"Grandbabies?" she shrieked and he nodded nervously. She let out another squeal before pouncing. Charlie had no chance to protect Harry before she was placing kisses all over his bespectacled face and then on Charlie's own face.

"Oh how lovely! I can't tell you how long I've waited for one of my children to give me grandbabies! Always wanting careers and other such nonsense. They never listen when I say that children and marriage are all that's important and that after that they can worry about trivial things like jobs! But of course they pay no attention to me, do they? Oh, but I know you're ever so young, Harry. Mind you I was only a few years older than you when I was pregnant with Bill. Oh, it was such a magical time! There's nothing in the world like pregnancy, you know. I shall tell you all about my six times if you like, just so you know what to expect. Though I expect it will be different - what with you having man bits! Oh, you two must be so in love! How lucky you are to have found each other. Of course I have my Arthur so I know all about it. Our brood is all from pure love! Oh, this is such happy news! To think when I first got here I thought you were dying! Good heavens we have so much to do! We need baby things; I can give you lots of things that belonged to my boys of course. Unless it's a girl, then I'm sure I can find some of Ginny's things from when she was a babe. And we have to pick out names and decide where you're going to go after graduation, maybe get a place for yourselves, eh? Not that I wouldn't mind having you at the Burrow but you young ones like your space I imagine. Well of course you do, you're having a baby! Goodness knows how much love making you two do if you've managed to make a little one!"

"Oh my God, Mum, STOP!" Charlie shouted, ending his mother's huge babbling speech. He felt that he knew far more about his mother than he was comfortable with now. One look at Harry's stricken face told him that he was equally horrified.

Harry was startled out of his Mrs Weasley induced daze by the hysterical laughter of Mr Weasley, Remus and Tonks.

"Oh dear, Molly," Arthur gasped between giggles, "I think you've scarred the boys for life." This caused another shriek of laughter from Tonks and a snort from Remus. Mrs Weasley huffed, reigning in her excitement and sat back down next to her husband. When he continued to laugh she cuffed him round the side of the head.

"So… I'm guessing by that reaction you're okay about this?" Charlie said with a laugh.

"Of course, son," Mrs Weasley said softly, an understanding in her eyes, "I'm not mad. All I would have asked for is that you were married first, but some things just happen that way." She smiled at them both warmly and Harry sighed in relief.

"Dad?"

Mr Weasley smiled and nodded, taking his wife's hand in his own.

Harry turned to the other couple, "What about you two?"

"We are delighted for you, Harry. You are very young, that is true, but I believe you would make a wonderful father. As would you, Charlie," Remus said kindly. Harry's eyes welled and he climbed out of bed to give the older man, the last link to his parents and his godfather, a warm hug. It was returned fiercely and a telltale sniff indicated to Harry that he was not the only one feeling emotional. He pulled away after a few moments and grinned at his friend. Tonks stepped in between them to pull Harry into another hug. She whispered in his ear a simple, "Love you Hazza," before stepping away.

Warm arms wrapped around Harry's middle and he leaned back against Charlie's warm chest, closing his eyes in bliss, high on the acceptance of his loved ones.

"We'll just leave you to it," Mrs Weasley said softly. Harry opened his eyes and nodded. They all exchanged hugs and kisses and firm handshakes and promises to write, before once again, Harry and Charlie were alone in the hospital wing.

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Please read and review! I'd like to see what you thought of everybody's reactions!


	8. Back To The Real World

Sorry this chapter had been so delayed. I've had real writer's block and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it. I have no intentions of abandoning this story and I have much more in the works for the future.

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**--Chapter 8--**

The monotony of the next day was only broken up by check-ups, a quick fumble in bed while Madame Pomfrey was at lunch, and a visit from Neville, Seamus, Dean and Lee.

Harry had been extremely embarrassed when he realised that he had forgotten to speak to his Gryffindor friends they day before, but they simply laughed and told him that the others had informed them of the situations to ease their worries; knowing that Charlie and Harry would not mind. The four boys had all been very supportive, though none of them let the chance to tease Harry go by and it wasn't long before he was blushing as bright as his lover's hair. It wasn't until Charlie made a sly comment about the ineffectiveness of contraceptive charms that they finally let up, paling as they fled with hasty goodbyes.

The day after, as Harry sat on his bed munching on some toast and watching Charlie make lesson plans, the door opened and Dumbledore walked in. His face was suspiciously blank and Harry was immediately on edge. Charlie placed his quill and parchment on the side table and went to sit closer to Harry, taking his hand in his own. The headmaster stopped a few paces away and his wizened old face broke into a crinkly smile. Harry released a slow breath and let his head fall onto Charlie's shoulder, who chuckled and wrapped his arms around him.

"Good news, gentlemen," Dumbledore said with a flourish. "The governors have agreed that, due to your extenuating circumstances," he paused to wink at Harry, who flushed and placed a hand over his stomach self-consciously, "the two of you should not be separated. Instead, two rooms will be attached onto Professor Weasley's suite; one for you, Mr Potter, and the other for the baby. Bear in mind that you will have to sleep in those separate rooms, no excuses." He looked at them both seriously and, reluctantly, they both nodded.

Dumbledore beamed and clapped his hands together. "Well, I've spoken to Poppy and she says that you can go back to classes, Harry, as long as you don't overdo it. All the staff have been informed, as is procedure, and they'll all be keeping an eye on you and making sure you don't come into contact with anything harmful."

Harry looked to Charlie, who smiled, and Harry's barely contained joy split a grin across his face. He gave his lover a chaste kiss before turning to Dumbledore.

"Thank you, Professor," he said reverently.

"My pleasure, Harry," the old man replied, his twinkly eyes bright with tears. "Now, if you'll follow me."

He led them down to Charlie's suite, which was hidden behind a tapestry of a dragon just off of the Entrance Hall, which made it easier for him to get out to the grounds. After stating the password (Norwegian Ridgeback) Dumbledore and Charlie proceeded into the main ling area. Harry followed them gingerly.

The main living room was much like the Gryffindor common room, with red walls and a large fireplace on the right of the entrance with a sofa and two comfortable looking armchairs surrounding it. Four doors were spread across the large circular room; presumably leading to the bathroom and three bedrooms the suite hosted. There were two writing desks on the opposite side of the room to the fire, a large one for Charlie and a smaller one for Harry, and a table with two chairs sat directly left of the door they had entered through. It was warm and cosy and the pictures of the Weasleys and various friends, including Harry, that were scattered about the area made it seem altogether more homely.

"It's great," Harry said slightly breathlessly. Charlie beamed and took hold of Harry's hand, drawing it up to his mouth to place a delicate kiss on the knuckles.

"Yes, quite," Dumbledore said, overly loud and cheerful. "Now, I'll just settle a few things with you before I go. Harry, you are to continue taking the potions you have been prescribed and attend check-ups with Madame Pomfrey every other day, unless there is a specific problem. Your classes will reconvene tomorrow but, obviously, you are not to play any Quidditch."

Even though Harry had been expecting it, it was still a blow. He sighed and nodded, feeling slightly better when Charlie's hand tightened around his own.

"Also, I shall make an announcement at breakfast concerning your condition. It would not help anyone if you were to have any accidents and people will wonder why you are living here, Harry. The Hogwarts rumour mill is, after all, legendary. " He smiled merrily at them before leaving the way he had came.

There was a silence that bordered on awkward for a few minutes.

"Well, that's all sorted out now, isn't it?" Charlie said cheerfully, pulling Harry into a tight embrace. Harry melted into his arms, savouring the warmth and love Charlie gave so freely and offering his own in return.

"I'm so glad that the waiting is over," Harry mumbled into Charlie's chest.

"Me too. Now I can concentrate on the important things," Charlie said. Harry tilted his head to look up at him enquiringly and Charlie continued. "You, the baby..." he bent his head and whispered in Harry's ear conspiringly, "And your NEWTs."

Harry groaned and pulled away with a frown, but Charlie's laugh was so infectious that he couldn't fight off his grin for long. He gave Charlie a playful smack on the arm.

"Thanks, that's just what I need reminding of!" Harry stomped across the room and threw himself onto the couch in front of the fire dramatically.

"Aw, don't be like that, love," Charlie crooned teasingly, following him over and standing behind the couch. Placing his large hands on Harry's shoulders, he slowly began to massage the muscles of his joints and higher back. Harry sighed and dropped his chin to his chest. Encouraged, Charlie pressed his fingers harder, digging in his thumbs and chasing the tension away.

"Mm, you're forgiven," Harry moaned and was startled when Charlie immediately stopped and jumped over the back of the couch to sit next to him.

"Great," Charlie said with a cheeky grin. Harry rolled his eyes at him.

"Harry," Charlie began in a serious tone, and the man in question looked up, listening intently. "Are you alright? I mean, a lot has happened and I'd understand if you were feeling a little overwhelmed. I just want you to know that I'm here for you. We're in this together and I won't let you down." Charlie's short speech was so impassioned, that Harry couldn't think of any other response than to kiss him; long and hard.

When they eventually broke apart, they were both flushed and panting, their arms wrapped around each other.

"Sometimes I don't know how I ever survived without you. If you left me now, I'd be lost," Harry mused. Charlie gripped him tighter for a moment.

"Well I'm not going anywhere; you don't need to worry about that."

* * *

The next morning, Harry fiddle with his shirt anxiously as he waited in the Entrance Hall with Charlie while Dumbledore made the announcement. After a few minutes, Charlie batted his hands away from the loose threading in the hem.

"Stop fidgeting; you're making me nervous," Charlie grumbled.

"Sorry, I can't help it. I feel more scared than when I went to fight Voldemort. Why did we agree to this? Everyone's going to think I'm some kind of slut," Harry covered his face with his hands.

Charlie sighed and reached out to take those hands in his own. "Harry, you're being ridiculous. Must be the hormones," he quipped. Harry opened his tightly squeezed eyes to glare at him, but Charlie carried on as if he hadn't noticed. "All people are going to think how jealous they are that you've met your soul mate and that he happens to be handsome, charming, charismatic, enigmatic, gor- OW!" He clutched at his stomach where Harry had just struck him. "This is abuse! That's twice you've hit me in as many days!"

Harry chuckled, his worries forgotten, and barely flinched as the doors to the Great Hall opened and Charlie led him in by the hand. The room was still and unusually quiet for breakfast time. All eyes were on the couple in the doorway and Harry wanted to shrink back and go hide in their suite. Charlie, on the other hand, stood tall and proud as he all but marched Harry over to the Gryffindor table and pushed him down into the space between his brother and Hermione.

In a daze, Harry moved his body easily where Charlie directed and smiled at his lover when he placed a kiss on his forehead before continuing down the aisle to take a seat at the staff table next to McGonagall.

Gradually, the talking resumed until it was at its normal boisterous level. Harry turned to face his housemates with dread, but was pleasantly surprised to see them all smiling at him reassuringly.

"Hey, Harry. Feeling better?" Dean asked as he passed some toast to Neville.

"Much better, thanks. I won't be passing out again any time soon."

"That's good to hear, mate," Ron said, slapping Harry on the back. They grinned at each other.

"So, where are you living now?" Seamus questioned around a mouthful of sausage.

"I've got my own room in Charlie's suite." Everyone nodded with understanding.

"Should you really be calling him that? It's a bit inappropriate don't you think?" Lavender sniffed at him haughtily.

Before he could answer, Ron cut in, "Not as inappropriate as having his illegitimate child." The table erupted into laugher.

"Hey! Don't talk that way about my baby!" Harry cried indignantly and huffed when the others simply laughed harder.

* * *

All day long, Harry was followed by whispers and stares and it was endlessly irritating. His last class of the day was, mercifully, Care of Magical Creatures and he was looking forward to being able to acknowledge his lover during the lesson, without his heart shattering in his chest.

He walked down, to what would always be Hagrid's hut, with Neville, whom he had just had Charms with and the two of them chatted about the previous lesson as they made their way across the lawn. The afternoon air was crisp and Harry pulled his robes tighter around him as they approached their classmates.

Charlie appeared suddenly in the cabin doorway, carrying a crate of Bowtruckles, and he smiled winningly at Harry when he spotted him. Placing the box down on the floor in the middle of the group, he addressed the class.

"Right, we're continuing with our revision; today we have Bowtruckles, which I believe you covered with Professor Grubbly-Plank, is that correct?" The class nodded their agreement. "Great, well, grab one between four, as usual, and see what you can remember about them off the tops of your heads. Then you can go back over your previous notes and fill in any gaps. Make sure to get a good, detailed drawing. Off you go." Charlie stood back as the students collected their creatures and carried them off as they dispersed into groups. He searched out Harry again, and after spotting him with Ron, Hermione and Neville, moved over to talk to him.

"You okay, Harry?" he asked softly as Harry tilted his head to look up at him from his seat on the ground.

Harry smiled. "Yeah, fine. Though I could do without all the staring and muttering," he sighed. Charlie nodded and sat down next to him on the grass, sharing smiles with the other three.

"Yeah, me too. No one has dared to ask me about it yet, but I can see it in their eyes; they're all desperate to interrogate me." Charlie leaned over Harry's shoulder to read the notes he had made, absently pointing out a few mistakes with his finger and allowing Harry to correct them.

Ron snorted. "Well no one's afraid to question me. People have been coming up to me all day trying to find out stuff about your relationship." Hermione nodded.

Harry winced. "Sorry guys, I didn't mean for you two to be harassed."

"Don't be silly, Harry," Hermione said brightly, patting his hand. "We'd much rather they harassed us than you. Heaven knows what the kind of stress could do to a growing foetus."

Harry didn't look any less guilty and so Charlie pulled him into a hug, pressing a kiss into his hair. "Hey, Hermione is right. The last thing we need is you getting all worked up about things you have no control over. Everyone's looking out for you, I'm sure Ron doesn't mind really. Do you Ron?" The question was so stern that even if Ron had minded, he wouldn't have voiced that opinion just then.

"Of course not, mate. I just wish the gits would leave off altogether," Ron said and Harry turned his head to look at him.

"Really?"

"Really."

Harry smiled at him gratefully and slowly extricated himself from Charlie's arms. He cupped his hands round his lover's face and pulled him down for a sweet kiss, nibbling his lip gently before soothing it with his tongue.

"God, that's disgusting."

They pulled apart and turned to find the source of the comment. Harry spotted Zacharias Smith standing a few feet away. He was looking at them with undisguised disgust, as were a few others that were gathered around him.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Harry asked through gritted teeth as he stood up slowly.

"I was merely pointing out how despicable it is that Dumbledore has allowed this unnatural act to occur," Smith's sneered, not even trying to pretend he hadn't said anything.

"What act might that be?" Harry felt Charlie stand up beside him, just as Hermione, Ron and Neville rose to back him up.

"Well, allowing his Golden Boy to be fucked by a teacher, of course. And then letting him produce spawn as if it was the most natural thing in the world rather than what it really is; an abomination and a disgrace to the Wizarding world."

Harry was shaking in anger; this was just the sort of reaction he had feared. Charlie placed a steadying on his back. "If I were you, Mr Smith, I would not speak in that disrespectful manner. I am still a Professor and you are still a student; you are not above punishment."

"Oh, are you going to fuck me too? Bend me over your desk and teach me the error of my ways?"

Ron let out a snarl of anger and took a threatening step before he was dragged back by Hermione. Smith smirked at him. Charlie strode forward.

"I warned you, Mr Smith. One hundred points from Hufflepuff for disrespecting a staff member, being rude to a classmate, disobeying a direct instruction from a teacher and foul language. Also, see Mr Filch for three weeks of detention beginning tonight. Professor Dumbledore will hear about this, I 

assure you. And the rest of you, make sure I don't hear about anymore behaviour like this from anyone, or you will live to regret it. Class dismissed."

The students started babbling immediately as they scrambled back to the castle; no doubt to tell others about what had just occurred.

Charlie sighed and turned back to face Harry. He was surprised to find tears streaming down the young man's face.

"Harry, what's the matter?" he asked worriedly.

Harry laughed humourlessly. "What do you mean 'what's the matter'? Did you not see that? This is exactly what I knew what would happen. Everyone is disgusted by me. I'm a freak." Charlie moved forward to embrace him but Harry pushed him away sharply. Charlie only had a moment to see the broken look on his face before he turned and fled towards the castle.

* * *

Please read and review. Love to see what you think of this chapter.


	9. Talking It Out

Thank you very much for your continued support for this story. I realise it had been a while since my last update and I apologise for that. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it!

* * *

--**Chapter 9**--

It was Ginny who f**o**und him in the end. After a frantic castle-wide search that included all available Weasleys, friends and teachers she discovered Harry sitting on a window ledge in the Owlery, Hedwig perched on his knee and nipping affectionately at his fingers. He appeared to be lost in thought, gazing out into the distance morosely. Although he was no longer crying, his face was damp and the lines of tension around his eyes and the clench of his jaw told her that he was still upset.

She picked her way through the mess of owl droppings and straw to stand by him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, careful not to alarm him. "Harry?"

He turned to look at her. She gave him a small smile which he returned reluctantly.

"Everyone's been looking for you; you've been missing for hours. Charlie's been running around frantic," she scolded gently.

He ducked his head sheepishly. "Sorry," he mumbled, "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I just needed to get away for a bit." He turned to look back out of the window.

Ginny sighed and brushed down the stone on the other side of the ledge before sitting down delicately to face Harry. "I know this is hard for you, Harry, we all do, but you can't just run away every time things get a little difficult. That's not the kind of person you are."

He turned towards her sharply. "Maybe that's exactly the kind of person I am! All my life I've had to stand up and fight because I had no choice, people were going to die. And I did it, I faced the enemy and I won. And are people grateful? Are they prepared to let things go now that they can sleep easy in their beds at night? No! People are just as eager to judge me now as they were when I hadn't done a thing."

"People are always going to judge you, Harry; they judge everyone. Do you think it was easy for me when I decided to get together with Neville? People were angry with me for deserting you! They said that I was a slut and a whore for leaving the Boy-Who-Lived to be with the guy I loved. No matter that you had no interest in me anyway," Ginny said angrily, frustrated.

Harry looked immediately contrite. "I'm sorry, Ginny; I didn't realise. You shouldn't have had to go through that because of me."

The redhead growled in annoyance. "That's not the point! The fact is: everyone is judged and looked down on by someone else. No one is able to get by without being slighted by some idiot who thinks they're better. Smith has always been an arse and that's exactly why you shouldn't take any notice of him. So many other, more important people are thrilled for you and want you and Charlie to be happy. You are a much better person than him, Harry, in so many ways. Don't let him ruin this for you."

Harry sighed and nodded, causing Ginny to slump back against the stone behind her in relief. "You're right, Gin. It's about time I stopped worrying what everybody thinks and just live my life. Maybe being pregnant is a little unorthodox but that just makes it even more special, right?"

Ginny grinned and nodded. "Never let it be said that you've ever done anything normal, Harry."

"Hey!" Harry said, unable to stop the laughter that followed.

"Come on," Ginny said, standing and offering Harry a hand to help him up. "There's someone who'd very much like to see you right now."

* * *

Harry opened the portrait to Charlie's suite and tentatively stepped over the threshold, closing it quietly behind him. Charlie was slumped over in one of the armchairs by the fire, his back to Harry and his head in his hands. He was unnaturally still and Harry could tell he was upset just from the set of his back. Sighing to himself, Harry slowly approached the other man and, seeing no way of getting his attention without startling his quiet reverie, gently placed a hand on his arm. As he had predicted, Charlie jumped, springing to his feet and turning to face Harry.

"It's just me," Harry said quickly. Charlie sighed as recognition sunk in and his war-learned reflexes relaxed and they stood staring at each other silently for several moments as they each tried to read the other's emotions.

Neither one was sure who had moved first but suddenly they were in a fierce embrace. Harry's head tucked neatly under Charlie's chin, Charlie's face buried in his thick locks.

"I'm sorry," Harry mumbled into the warm skin of Charlie's neck.

Charlie shook his head. "Don't be, Harry. You were right to be upset; Smith said some very cruel things."

"I suppose," Harry conceded, leaning his head back to look into Charlie's warm eyes, "But there was no need to react the way I did. I shouldn't have shouted at you and I _definitely_ shouldn't have run away; that was a childish thing to do." He dropped his gaze and scowled, seemingly at himself, and Charlie couldn't help but chuckle at the look on his face.

"Maybe it was a bit over the top but I think you're entitled to some theatrics considering your condition," Charlie said with a smirk which only broadened further as Harry rolled his eyes and shoved him away. Charlie caught his hand before he could get too far and brought it up to press a kiss to the skin of his palm. "You don't have to worry about what other people will think, Harry," he told the younger man, "We're in this together, okay? The only thing that matters is me, you and that baby of ours."

Harry nodded; feeling slightly overwhelmed, and allowed himself to be pulled in for a kiss.

* * *

The following Saturday, the story hit the press. Harry was eating breakfast with his friends and laughing as a groggy Seamus fell asleep in his scrambled eggs when the post arrived and chaos broke out. A flock of about fifty birds was heading towards his place at the Gryffindor table and explosion of food and feathers went up as they each landed and tried to deliver their letter. Harry was being pecked all over as he tried to free each one of their burden and was unbelievably relieved when Hermione called out in a no-nonsense voice, "Don't just sit there you imbeciles, help him!"

Immediately the Gryffindors sprung into action, removing letters from the frustrated owls and sending them back on their way. By the time that Harry was dealing with the last one there was a huge pile of mail in the centre of the table, a _Daily Prophet_ right at the top. Harry looked up at the staff table nervously and was disappointed to see the large pile of steaming red letters that Charlie had collected. Charlie looked up and gave Harry a wry smile before pointing his wand at the smoking stack of paper and destroying them with a quick _Incendio_. Harry smiled back and shook his head before picking up the _Prophet_, feeling a little more confident about confronting what it had to say.

Sure enough, there on the front page was a photograph of him, taken just after the end of war celebrations, and a large headline that read:

**HARRY POTTER TO HAVE ILLEGITMATE CHILD WITH HOGWARTS PROFESSOR**

_**Today, sources from within Hogwarts have revealed that Chosen One/Boy-Who-Lived/Destroyer-Of-The-Dark-Lord Harry Potter is pregnant with the child of the recently appointed Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Charlie Weasley. While it is widely known that Potter is close with the Weasley family, few were aware of the true extent of this relationship. Dumbledore has yet to release a statement on how this has come about but we rumours say that he fully supports the couple and has allowed them to room together within the castle. What do you think of this latest development from our saviour? Is it true love or a tragic plea for attention? Please Owl your responses to....**_

Harry stopped reading and put the _Prophet_ back on the pile that seemed noticeably smaller than a few minutes ago. Hermione, noticing his confused expression, answered before he had asked the question.

"We thought that it would be a good idea to see what the general response is from the public. Judging from the number of Howlers Charlie got this morning, it isn't all good but so far most of the letters you've received are positive. A few seem to be angry that you've betrayed the love that you share with them but we've estimated that those aren't exactly reliable," she added with a chuckle. "I wonder how the story got out, anyway. I thought Dumbledore would want to keep it quiet," she pondered, tapping her wand against her chin.

A glance at the smug face of Zacharias Smith told Harry all he needed to know and he snorted. "I think Smith is feeling particularly satisfied with himself this morning," he told Hermione, who's eyes narrowed as they settled on the laughing Hufflepuff.

"Well that won't last very long," she replied slyly with a slightly terrifying smile in the oblivious boy's direction.

Harry quickly moved the conversation on. "So, what do the supportive ones have to say?"

Hermione smiled and picked up a few letters. "Well this one says that she is 'pleased that you have finally found happiness', which is nice, and this one sends his 'congratulations and good wishes for the baby'."

Harry felt warmed to his very core from the support and was surprised how pleased he was that people were willing to accept this new part of him. He smoothed a hand over the flatness of his stomach and shared another smile with Hermione.

* * *

Later that day, Harry was enjoying a rare afternoon of October sunshine by relaxing with a book against a tree in a remote part of the grounds. Despite it being Saturday, Charlie still had duties to attend to and so Harry had been left to entertain himself. After the mania of the morning he had decided that a couple of hours peace by himself would be the perfect way to wind down, though he knew it was only a matter of time before someone found him.

As if his thoughts had been some kind of premonition, a few seconds later he heard the distinct sound of approaching feet and looked up to see Draco Malfoy walking gracefully towards him.

It was common knowledge that Draco and he had an odd relationship. After the Slytherin's defection to the Light side during the war, they had formed a kind of awkward truce whenever they were around each other that closely resembled the Muggle teaching 'If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all'. Of course they still managed to argue and get into childish brawls every now and then; one particularly memorable fight had them rolling down the stairs at Grimmauld Place, still throwing punches. But it wasn't until Blaise Zabini, who had also switched sides with Malfoy, was kidnapped by Death Eaters that their relationship really changed.

_It was well known amongst the Order that Malfoy and Zabini were an item, though Harry was unable to see any signs of true affection between them. They never kissed or held hands or did anything that most other couples did which left Harry to the conclusion that it was some kind of casual sex arrangement and little more. Over the two weeks that Zabini was missing, Malfoy became increasingly agitated. He had taken to pacing the hallway by the front door, despite the constant threat of Mrs Black's portrait booming into life to scream at him, and only the bravest members of the Order dared to speak to or question him for fear of being hexed. Tonks told Harry that he was worried about Blaise but Harry was still unconvinced that Malfoy could feel anything other than contempt for another person. _

_The night Blaise returned, Harry was on his way down the hallway, studiously avoiding Malfoy's daily ritual of pacing by the front door as he walked past him. There was a knock at the front door and Malfoy opened it in an instant to find Blaise, battered, drenched from the rain but mostly fine, standing dripping on the doorstep. Harry watched as Malfoy let out a cry and threw himself into the other boy's arms. Blaise, obviously still fairly weak from his abduction, barely had time to shut the front door behind him before the two sunk to the ground, wrapped up together. Harry was unable to tear his eyes away, especially once he realised that the trembling of Malfoy's body was due to the wracking sobs that were shaking him._

"_I thought you were dead," the distraught boy said. Blaise simply pressed a kiss to his hair, rocking him gently in his arms and whispering words of comfort into his pale hair._

_Realising that he was intruding, Harry quickly slipped out of the hallway, surprised to find tears in his own eyes, and left to tell the others that Zabini was back safe. _

Since that night Harry had made a positive effort to befriend the other boy. He understood that there were real feelings under that cold Malfoy exterior (Blaise and Draco were still going strong today, though they remained fairly unaffectionate in public) and, after some time, the two had become good friends. They still had their moments, of course, but Harry was thankful that he had had a chance to get to know the real Draco Malfoy.

"Hey, Potter," the other boy said as he got closer.

Harry rolled his eyes. "For Merlin's sake, Draco, how many times must I say 'call me Harry'?" he sighed.

Draco shrugged as he folded himself into position next to Harry and leant back against the bark. "I can't help it! I spent six years calling you 'Potter'; it's a hard habit to break," he said reasonably and Harry shook his head. "What are you doing hiding out here anyway? You shouldn't really be off on your own in a remote part of the castle in your condition. What if something happened?"

"Aw, worried about me are we, Draco?" Harry said in sickly sweet voice.

It was Draco's turn to roll his eyes. "Of course, _Harry._ Sometimes I can barely sleep at night for thoughts of you," he replied sarcastically.

Wrinkling his nose, Harry asked, "Really? Doesn't Blaise get jealous?"

Draco turned and glared at him. Harry held his gaze seriously for a few seconds before bursting into laughter, the other boy following him before long.

"Seriously, Harry. It's not safe for you to be on your own, especially now you're pregnant. You never know who might come creeping out of the Forest. Where's Charlie?"

"He had things to do for his classes, sorting out the creatures or something," he answered nonchalantly.

"Well I'm waiting on Blaise anyway so I can stay with you until he gets back," Draco said decisively and Harry knew he would not be allowed to disagree.

He went for small talk instead. "Oh, what is Blaise up to then?"

"He had to deliver an essay to Flitwick."

"I see."

The conversation remained light and friendly for a good hour as they discussed Blaise and Charlie, their classes and their friends until Draco brought up a subject that was clearly playing on his mind.

"I saw all the post you got this morning in response to the article," he said with a searching look as if he was trying to judge Harry's emotions.

The Gryffindor nodded. "Yeah, it wasn't too bad. Charlie got a load of Howlers but most of my letters were positive," he said with a pleased smile.

"Are you going to release a statement?"

Harry frowned. "I don't think so. To be honest, I wouldn't know how."

"You don't know how to issue a statement?" Draco asked incredulously and Harry shook his head. "Well how do usually deal with the press?"

"I normally just ignore them and hope the give up," Harry replied truthfully

Draco tutted. "That's no way to do it. Honestly Potter, I can't believe you don't have a proper system for coping with your media persona."

"Well I have no idea what I should do! And I don't care about my 'media persona' for crying out loud," Harry whined.

"I can see that I am going to have to take over seeing as you are, frankly, incompetent."

"Hey!" Harry cried. Draco ignored him.

"I'm sure I could get an owl to the _Daily Prophet_ before nightfall and tell them to send me a list of questions and such," Draco continued, seemingly to himself. "And maybe a few photos of the two of you and some responses from the other Weasleys. Yes. That might work. What about a..."

Harry huffed and closed his eyes, reclining more comfortably against the tree and just listening to the sound of Draco's musings.

The next thing he knew was the sound of quiet conversation nearby. He sat up rubbing his eyes and the talking stopped. He opened his eyes to see Draco and Blaise sat close together on the grass doing what must be homework, knees touching but with no other sign of affection, and Charlie kneeling next to him.

"Come on, you! You've been asleep for over three hours. Good job these two stayed to watch over you or you would have frozen to death!" Charlie scolded him. It was then that Harry realised that it was nearly dark and that he had a large black cloak draped over him, the remains of a warming charm still keeping the fabric pleasantly snug.

Charlie helped him up, thanking Draco and Blaise once more before leading him back to their suite. Harry felt extremely tired which seemed odd seeing as he had just slept for several hours but he had just enough energy left to call back to the two boys.

"Goodnight, you two. Thanks," he said, ending the words on a yawn.

"Goodnight, Potter. You idiot," Draco's wry voice called back.

"It's Harry!" he grumbled before giving up on words altogether. He shut his eyes, holding tightly to his lover's hand and trusting Charlie to get them home safe.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review and tell me what you think of this latest update. I still have no intentions of abandoning this story and your support only encourages me!


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